Broken Angel
by Candace Marie
Summary: Darth Vader has brought Padme Amidala back to the dead. How will he reconsile the love Anakin had for her to the Sith he had become? How will Padme deal with the crimes her husband has committed?
1. Opening Crawl

Broken Angel

In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away …...

The Jedi are all but extinct, the Jedi's Chosen One has been missing for the last ten years. There are still those that believe in the Chosen One's Return. The Emperor rules the Galaxy with an iron fist. Many Senators have gone missing. The Evil Darth Vader appears to be behind these kidnappings. There is hope, the Princess Leia Organa and her band of rebels have joined a lone Jedi named Galen Malak intent on restoring the Empire to the Republic it once was. But First the Rebel Alliance will need to eliminate the Emperor and his Enforcer to come to a peaceful resolution. The Son of Suns in still on the remote planet of Tattooine. The Evil Darth Vader has discovered the secret to life and death. Retired General Obi-Wan Kenobi has come out of hiding to aide the lone Jedi and to help Senator Leia Organo and her father, Viceroy Organo leaving the Son of Suns under the watchful eye of Retired Jedi Padawan

Ferus Olin...


	2. Chapter One: Fairy Tale

It's Not Just A Fairy Tale

His life has started out just like those holodramas he used to watch with Padme, perhaps that was why the holoreporters had seemed so enamored with him. Slave meets Queen. He gains strength, fame and eventually her love. If only there had been a happily ever after for him.

True, he had won her love, and they had married in secret but things had gone terribly wrong since their wedding on Valykino. He had lost everything that day on Mustafar. His wife. His best friend. His handsome face. His ability to walk on legs that were made of flesh and blood. His ability to breathe on his own. His ability to see with his own eyes. His ability to speak with his own voice. And worse, his own child.

He had done everything to save her. Choosing Palpatine over the Jedi. The assault on the Temple. Eliminating the younglings. The assassination of the Separatists. All for her, and their child. Protecting her from Palpatine's investigations on the Senators who has signed the Delegation of a Thousand. All of it. For her.

He had once been proud of the person he had become. He had become a respected Jedi General of the Republic. But that had been so long ago. He wasn't that person anymore. Just looking into the mirror told him that, so why was there still that small voice in the back of his mind that whispered to him whenever he killed someone. A voice that sounded suspiciously like his old master, like Anakin had, telling him that he was suppose to fight for those who couldn't fight back. When he looked into a mirror, the image that greeted him was a monster, one clad in black from head to toe, one who didn't have a face, someone that could be anyone. The only color that showed, was the lights on his chest plate that kept him alive, breathing whether he wanted to or not. He could never stop it. He couldn't even slow it down. He was truly a monster.

As always, he ignored that voice and watched as the Colonel dropped dead to the ground for his latest incompetence. He wondered why the Emperor insisted that he surround himself with idiots. How hard was it to follow his orders? He would once again have to travel to Imperial Center, and attend the Imperial Academy while he gave the standard speech how there was always room for advancement aboard the _Executor_. He could hear their thoughts, and knew the snickers that would soon follow, 'Yeah, there's always room for advancement among Lord Vader's crew, because he keeps killing them off.' Yet, the pay was enough to tempt many to join his crew. He had just signed on a young man named Fimus Piett that seemed rather intelligent and able to follow orders. It had been awhile since anyone had impressed him. The last person to impress him was Captain Rex of the 501st. He still lived as proof that he didn't kill all of his Army.

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, went to meet with his master by holocron. Even from holocron, the first thing he always noticed was the cold. The cold presence that continued to emulate from his master. He often wondered why he had never sensed it before when he was whole. The second thing he always noticed was the hate and anger that built up in him like bile. He was sure that pleased the Emperor more than anything. Darth Vader, bowed as he always did. He knew that Sidious kept him on his knees longer than necessary due to the unbearable amount of pain it caused him and for his own sick pleasure, it made him cackle just to think of the Jedi's Former Chosen One, on his knees below him. A sick thought twisted through the former Jedi's head, after all, Sidious had never been seen with anyone but men, he thought that Sidious was after all, a homosexual. No wonder he hadn't wanted Vader's wife around. It had taken some time for him to discern the fact, four or five years after Mustafar. He had attacked Sidious out of rage and had spent a week in the medbay for his efforts.

"Ah, Lord Vader, you may rise."

"Thank you, my master," Darth Vader replied.

"Change is coming soon, my friend. I sense a beacon of light, drawn forth to destroy us."

"The Jedi? Obi-Wan."

"You will get your revenge upon the Jedi who betrayed you, my apprentice."

"Finally."

"But-I don't want you to destroy him. I want information from him. He knows where this beacon of light is coming from. Once you get those answers, you are free to dispose of him in any way you see fit."

"Of course, my master."

"Very well, You are dismissed." Darth Vader watched until the blue image flickered away completely. Sidious was right, his reign would soon end and Vader's would begin. It was time, while Sidious was searching out the light in the force, Vader would use his distraction to bring his wife back from the dead. She had been kept in suspending animation since her untimely death. It was time to reawaken her. He had had to be careful, it wouldn't do for Sidious to have her destroyed given his distaste for her. He pressed a button which activated communications with his officers on the bridge. "Lieutenant Piett."

"Yes, milord."

"Set a course for Naboo."

"Yes, milord."

"You are Captain now, Piett. Try not to disappoint me."

"Yes, milord."

"And Captain, please bring the clean-up crew to clean up the mess."

"It will be done sir."

"While I'm on Naboo, Admiral Ozzel will be in charge."

"Yes, milord." Darth Vader closed the transmission and thought much on his wife. Padme Amidala. He couldn't believe he would soon see her again. If he didn't wear this suit, he would be making himself presentable, but as it was that wasn't an issue. He would be giving her life, she was his. She belonged to him. She had sworn to love him in life and in death and he was holding her to that. Several hours later he departed on Naboo, after a mandatory inspection which only left two stormtroopers gone, having arrived late, he figured that was the best inspection he had done in a long while. Perhaps, he was just excited and had been impatient to get to Naboo. To get to her.

He entered a security code to stop the suspended animation, and lit two candles there. He stared at her in awe. She was as beautiful as the day they had married. Her face was so cold. He touched her belly, wondering if this would give life to their unborn child. He took her hand in his other one and began whispering an ancient Sith chant that would bring her back to him. Hours later, he felt the warmth return to her skin. She would be weak, he knew. He picked her up and carried her back to his ship, giving her the quarters across from his, since his contained no bed.

He placed her on the bed carefully, as he watched her even breathing. He watched as her fingers twitched, as her lips moved. "Ani," she whispered. "Still good in him." Was she talking about him?He watched as her eyes began moving intently, trying to find the strength to open. "Luke," she whispered, her voice cracking over the words, "Leia." Was that what she had planned on naming their child? Finally, her eyelids opened, and he stared through his artificial lenses into her brown eyes. Eyes that were frightened.

"Where am I?" she whispered in the same broken voice.

"You are safe. You are above my ship, The _Executor._"

"Why?"

"This is where you belong,Padme." He watched as her eyes flickered around the room, taking everything in at once.

"I'm a member of the Senate," she whispered bravely, "The Republic will not stand for..." and with that her eyes closed again. He pushed himself up on the bed to lay beside her. He watched her as she slept. Was there anything as beautiful. He wondered if the life within her had stirred as well. Luke Skywalker. Luke Vader. Leia Skywalker. Leia Vader. He wasn't sure which sounded better, but he did like those names. He would have to contact Kamino and find out what they could due for him. Soon, he would take out Sidious and take his place as Emperor of the Galactic Emperor. He reached out to touch her hand, desire awakened within him for the first time in fifteen years. For the first time in fifteen years, he detested the helmet. He couldn't press his lips to her skin, not to her hand, nor her cheek, or her lips. He pressed his fingers to her lips and she screamed, jerking him out of his dream.

"Padme, I won't hurt you."

"You may address me as Senator Amidala."

"Padme, stop it! I won't stand for this!" he stated in the only volume he could manage. "I am your husband and..."

"You are Ani?" she squeaked in disbelief.

"I was once Anakin Skywalker, yes."

"What happened to you?"

"I don't believe now is the time to discuss this. I am now Lord Vader, and we are on my personal ship. It's a Star Destroyer."

"Lord Vader?" she shook her head as if trying to clear it. "You expect me to call you that?"

"In front of my men, yes."

"Obi-Wan was right. You...You turned to the Dark Side. You murdered younglings?"

"Yes. I did it for you, Padme."

"You murdered for me."

"I did it to save you."

"You murdered...children. How could you?"

"I had my orders. The Jedi had to be eradicated from the Galaxy."

"Why?" Before he could answer that question she spit out another one. "What happened to you? Did you murder our children too?"

"Children?" He reached over to her and took her head in his hands. "Padme, answer me. What do you mean children."

"We...had twins. Luke and Leia."

"They were born..." He remembered the words of the Emperor. Light in the Force. Who but the children of the Chosen One? "Padme, I fear that they are in danger."

"From who?" she asked, her voice becoming stronger.

"Padme, you have to tell me, what happened to them. Who were you with when you gave birth to them."

"Why? You aren't going to murder them, are you?"

"Padme, this is important."

"Who are they in danger from?"

"From my master.."

"From Obi-Wan?"

"No. Darth Sidious. Emperor Palpatine. He's the Galactic Emperor now. I can't challenge him, not yet. Our only hope is to protect them until I can."

"What happened? What happened to you? You've changed so much."

"Not that much. You are still my wife, and you are here with me. Together we will find our twins and we will keep them safe. Together we will rule the galaxy. We will fix the galaxy. Palpatine is corrupt. He's created more slaves than..." he thoughts trailed off. "Bounty Hunters. I will have them find Luke and Leia..." he trailed off leaving Padme to her rooms. He stopped and posted guards in front of her room as he went to summon bounty hunters using a variety of names to find them. Where could they be? And why was Padme acting so strange? He had to give that the suit would take some getting used to. She was shocked, she had every right to be shocked. He had to find the twins before his master did. Luke and Leia would join him, and together they would rule as a family. Nothing and nobody would stand in his way. And in finding the twins he would destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi, maybe his son would help him. He smiled as he thought of himself restored with a younger version of him at his side, wielding twin blades of crimson against an aging Obi-Wan Kenobi. He needed to get them X-Wings. He started making sketched. 'Crimson Twins.' he thought that would make a good name for his daughter's X-Wing. For his son, he would name it 'Son of Suns' for some reason it just sounded appropriate.

"Lord Vader?"

"Yes, Captain."

"We have picked up some incoming transmissions that were beamed from a Rebel Ship."

"Turn on the Tracking Beacon, I want the Rebels found. I don't want anyone executed until I give the Order."

"Yes, milord."

"The ship is the Tantive IV."

"I will deal with this. Put the ship on Yellow Alert. I don't want whoever this is to escape. Can you tell whose it is?"

"Tantive IV was registered to Viceroy Organa."

"Very well." He made his way to the bridge and watched from the viewport as the ship was sucked onto the Death Star that he had landed back on after retrieving his wife. He reached out with his senses feeling a slight prickling. The Emperor was right. Everything was about to change.


	3. Chapter 2: Unnatural Love

_A/N1: I want to thank my betareader Edwardcullenlover954 who came up with the idea for this wonderful story. Everyone please give her a round of applause!_

_A/N 2: Do you really think I own this? Hmmm...nope don't own it. Too bad._

MissCHSparkles Thank you for your review. I don't see Padme as the type to roll over and die just because her husband turned to the dark side!

Unnatural Love

Padme Amidala secretly Skywalker, Senator, and former Queen of Naboo, had not had an easy life, taking responsibility of a planet and the tender age of thirteen and serving two four year terms as such before taking on the role of Senator, none of that had prepared her for the last few years of her life, and certainty not the last day of her life. The day when her secret Jedi husband, had changed. She had sensed it with him even as he kissed her tenderly and set off on his mission, to destroy the Separatists on Mustafar, to bring them to justice as he had told her. Afterward when her friend and her husband's mentor had come to her and told her of Anakin's treacherous acts, she had refused to believe, how could she believe such things about the man she loved with her entire being, about the father of her unborn child, it was unbearable, the thought that her Ani could do something so treacherous, Anakin was a man with honor. She fingered the japor snippet around her neck and thought back to the boy she had met. Yes, there was no way Obi-Wan was right. All she had to do was see him and she would know the truth of it. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan had been watching her and had stowed away on her Naboo cruiser.

She had come to find Anakin mad with power, his eyes had changed to eyes she had only seen once, from a distance, from the Sith on Tattooine whom had attacked Qui-Gon. She wondered briefly if that Sith had been after her or Anakin. To see those eyes in the eyes of her beloved terrified her. She looked back and forth between her husband and his mentor and felt frozen to the spot.

"Padme, get away from him. He's not who you think he is."

"You will not take her from me." She felt herself being lifted with the force and felt invisible hands strangle her neck, pushing against it. This wasn't Anakin, he had sworn to always protect her, he would never hurt her, she knew it. She shook her head from side to side, denying the evidence in front of her eyes.

"Anakin, Ani.." she whispered, "I love you."

"Release her," Obi-Wan ordered and he did. She felt his eyes on her, perhaps softening. Even if he was a Sith, there was good in him. No one as good as Anakin could be completely consumed by the darkness. She was going to tell Obi-Wan that, fearful of the fight she knew would ensue around them but she hit the ground and everything went black. The next thing she remembered she was on a starship and Obi-Wan was leaning over her. She doubled over as a contraction gripped her. A contraction? She was too early. The baby...where was Anakin?

"Anakin?" she whispered looking into his tired eyes, they were so full of guilt and pain.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered before the pain took her and she was giving birth to not one but two children. Twins. A boy and a girl. They had both been right. Obi-Wan stayed with her.

"Luke and Leia, they must carry Anakin's name," she whispered weakly as she felt a force draining her strength. "Obi-Wan, there is still good in him," she jerked the japor snippet off her neck and tried to hand it to him but he didn't understand she knew he didn't. Then she was floating. She felt so much better. She tiptoed around Obi-Wan, listening to his words about holding on. She looked upon Luke and Leia, with a small smile. She turned back to Obi-Wan and saw that he was crying, he was holding a hand to his cheek. It was her hand. She was dead. She looked pasted him to the approaching blue figures.

"Master Jinn."

"Padme Amidala, you may call me Qui-Gon." He was holding someone's hand. Someone she had not seen since Tattooine. Anakin's mother, Shmi. Shmi reached out and stroked her hair.

"Come, my daughter, you must come with us."

"Where?"

"To the neverworld of the Force."

"What about Anakin?"

"He will suffer for a while but he will find his way home to us." Padme nodded, as she followed her friends into the abyss. They discussed many things while there. Mostly Anakin and the terror he brought on the galaxy. There were time when Qui-Gon was pulled away to speak to Obi-Wan and Yoda. Then the day came when she was pulled away from the peacefullness of it all, she screamed as she was ripped away and she felt so weak.

If she was back in the mortal world...then she wondered if she could speak, "Ani," she whispered, "There is still good in him," she felt so weak. "Luke, Leia," she whispered before her strength failed her. She felt as though she was being lifted and all she could hear was heavy breathing it spooked her terribly. She woke up to see a dark figure hover above her. She was in a bed. She tried to protest. To warn the creature of who she was. She was fighting with the different memories. Everything felt so jumbled in her head. She had married that little boy, Anakin Skywalker. She had their children. The memories slowly came back to her as he admitted murdering for her, to save her. Of all the stupid things in the galaxy. But her children were in danger. She still couldn't believe that Anakin had become that thing. But she had to believe that there was still good in him. She wasn't sure who had her children but she knew they were alive. She remembered asking Bail to help protect Anakin, it was possible that he had taken care of her children, carrying that promise further than she could ever hope. She would need to find him. Anakin spoke of bounty hunters, and she worried. Would they harm her children? She stepped out of the room, intent on finding Anakin and stopping him from his plans.

"Milady Vader," she heard and turned around. "You must return to your quarters."

"My quarters? I am not a prisoner. Anakin is my husband."

"Milady? Lord Vader has guards posted at each of the halls. If you are hungry something will be sent to you."

"When does my husband eat?"

"He doesn't. Not that I know of anyway, Milady."

"Yes, I will have something to eat. Where is my husband?"

"He is dealing with the Rebel Ship."

"Which ship?"

"Tantive IV."

"Senator Organa."

"Yes, milady."

Padme waited for him to leave as she snuck down the hall. Another Clone stopped her. "Are you lost, milady?" Padme cursed in Huttese as she returned to her quarters. She ate her dinner and then she used the tray to knock the guard out, running to the end of the hall she hit another on the head before dropping the tray. She pressed a button and hid in another room. This room had no bed. The air in here was different. She walked around turning in a circle. Just where was she? She looked around at the mechanics and picked up a datapad and began reading. It was a list of Rebels and on it was Viceroy Bail Organa and his daughter Senator Leia Amidala Organa. Her Leia. Her daughter.


	4. Chapter Three: Princess of Alderaan

Princess of Alderaan

Princess Leia Organa, Representative of Alderaan, smiled at her friend, Abso Bar Binks as he wore an outfit very similar to the one she wore. Her smile was very fleeting, however, as they were being pulled into a tractor beam. Artoo-Detoo and See Three-pio accompanied them. They were close to Alderaan, but if she jettisoned from the starship she would be putting her people in danger. Instead she recorded two messages one for her father and one for Retired General Obi-Wan Kenobi, in case of her capture. She hid as she felt the heat coming toward her. She pondered briefly the difference she felt in Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader's presences. While she felt heat from the apprentice she felt nothing but cold in the presence of the Emperor. She stayed hidden and watched as Darth Vader and the stormtroopers invaded her ship. She pushed a button sending Artoo-Detoo and Threepio on a mission. She had to get those plans to Obi-Wan and her father, from there Galen Malek would exploit the weaknesses of the Imperial Palace so that they could overthrow the Emperor and restore peace and Democracy once and for all. She watched as Abso fought the stormtroopers taking them out. She heard the harsh breathing coming from Darth Vader as he spoke to her friend.

"Jar Jar Binks?"

"Mesa not Jar Jar Binks. Mesa his son."

"His son." Stormtroopers were still firing at the gungan. "Cease your fire," he stated and when another blast was fired Darth Vader turned on the stormtrooper and force-choked him. Using his sorcerer's powers he flung the deceased trooper from his sight.

"Yousa Empire will never win. As long as the Gungan spirit is alive, there is hope."

"Once a shivered little green man thought that way, but he soon learned that he was wrong."

"Yousa never understand. Yousa know not of love, yousa know not the power of family." Vader nodded his head at two of the stormtroopers.

"Take him into custody, but he will not be harmed. Take him to the detention center. Do not try to fight Binks, or you will soon regret it." It was at that moment that Princess Leia Organa revealed herself.

"Darth Vader, only you could be so bold."

"Take her into custody."

"You cannot do this. I am a diplomat of Alderaan."

"Save it, child. You weren't on any mercy mission."

"The Senate will not stand for this. When they hear that you've attacked a diplomatic ship."

"Never mind that. You will be a prisoner of my ship, rather than the Death Star." She looked at him, slightly confused. Lord Vader was not known to have many prison cells, considering that his enemies always ended up dead. He turned to his men. "She will not be harmed. If any harm comes to her you will have me to deal with. Come along, Princess," he stated placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. She walked with him, unsure why. "Many of my men have been a long time without a woman, I will not put your innocence in jeopardy." Leia nodded, not quite sure she understood what he meant.

"Thank you, Lord Vader, but this act of kindness will not prevent me from destroying the Empire," she flashed dark brown eyes at him.

"I just need a few answers from you, and you need not suffer."

"I won't tell you anything. I will not betray my friends."

"The Jedi you are working with, Galen Marek...He's working for me. He's my apprentice."

"That's not true. He saved me from Captain Stern and helped rescue the Wookiees. He's a Jedi."

"You may be correct. His father was a Jedi Padawan, and imagine his mother was as well. I fought with his father upon discovering him."

"You mean you murdered his father."

"Call it whatever you wish, Princess. I took him under my wing, raised him in the way of the Sith. He is most defiantly a Sith. He helped me eradicate the remaining Jedi. He hunted down Knight Paratus and Master Shaak Ti on my orders."

"That's not true. He saved my father from Maris Brood."

"He travels with a pilot, Juno Eclipse. However, there are other things I wish to discuss with you."

"Like what?" she sneered.

"Your name," he stated simply. "Do you know where you got it? What do you know of your parents?"

"Breha and Bail Organo?"

"It's no secret you were adopted. When were you born?"

"On Empire Day," with that Vader left the room, leaving her confused. Why was her name so important to him. He was lying to her, he had to be, Galen Marek would never betray them to the Empire. She had to get a message to him, a message to Juno. She hope Artoo and Three-pio made it safely.


	5. Chapter 4: Secret Apprentice

Secret Apprentice

Galen Malek, once Sith apprentice to Darth Vader now Jedi Knight, smiled as he saw Obi-Wan Kenobi come to him.

"Vader raised you," Kenobi stated and it wasn't a question.

"To my everlasting shame."

"What is your opinion of Vader?"

"I know that you trained him. He even uploaded a lot of your dueling skills into Proxy, Vader was harsh, he pushed me to my limits but I would never have become a Jedi without him."

"Perhaps, I wasn't a complete failure. You know why I'm here."

"To help the Senator's daughter."

"Yes, I'm here to help Leia. Do you know of the prophecy of the Chosen One?"

"No."

"It is stated that there would be one born by the will of the Force itself. One born into strife, into hard times, from those times he would rise up and destroy the Sith bringing balance to the force." Obi-Wan Kenobi paused, a look of grief passing over his face. "The Chosen One fathered a Son. Which is why I must only stay long enough to help protect the Princess."

"Who was the Chosen One?"

"The Chosen One was once known as Anakin Skywalker." Galen listened to him thinking this was important but he hadn't known Anakin Skywalker.

"I've just received communications that everyone aboard the Tantive IV was killed in an explosion."

"Then, I must return."

"Wait. Kenobi, I wish to meet this boy."

"Luke is only fifteen. You are needed to keep up the Rebellion."

"If there is any word of this Leia...send word."

"Of course, Master Kenobi." Obi-Wan boarded his ship and closed his eyes, feeling into the Force for Leia's Force signature. It had been so long since he had tried searching for the twins in the Force, fearful it would draw the Emperor and Vader's notice. He sensed fear. He would have to bring Luke, he couldn't risk something happening to Luke just to save his twin. Oh, Anakin, don't hurt her.

Aboard the Executor Darth Vader heard the words of his former master,'Oh, Anakin, don't hurt her.' What was that Jedi doing? Soon, he would have his revenge. He was having DNA samples taken of himself, his wife, and Leia. Now that the samples had been taken from himself and Leia, he would need his wife's. He motioned for Captain Piett to follow him.

"I have an important job for you, Captain. I want you to protect my wife. If anything happens to her, I will hold you solely responsible. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Milord." Darth Vader nodded as he entered his wife's room. She was missing. Where could she be. He had noticed a few stormtroopers looking shakily around. Oh, Padme, he thought. He returned to his chambers to find her looking through his datapad.

"Padme, what are you doing?"

"Just what are you planning on doing to Senator Organa's daughter?"

"I'm going to determine her parentage. I need a blood sample from you, my love." Padme froze as he said those last words. All denial froze on her tongue. 'Have faith, my love.' 'I will return soon, my love.' 'Until we meet again, my love.' How many times had he called her that, and yet he wasn't the man she had married. There was good within him, that she wouldn't dispute, there was no way the good in Anakin could have been vanquished and yet she wondered how much of a hold the dark side had on him. She was reasonable certain that her friend was looking after her daughter, but what had become of Luke?

"Padme," she heard shaking herself out of her thoughts, "I just need a blood sample and with a few moments we will find out if Senator Organa had kidnapped our daughter." She held out her finger and let him test it.

"You haven't hurt her, have you?"

"No, she's not hurt. She's in a holding cell."

"A holding cell? Prison. Anakin, she's our daughter."

"We don't know that for certain," he replied. "But if is Senator Organo will pay for his trechery."

"He didn't kidnap her. He promised to look after those that I cared for. He knew about us."

"Padme."

"I had to explain to him when you gave me your lightsaber."

"I don't wish to speak of that," he answered. "That life has no meaning to me."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's a weakness."

"Then why did you bring me back. Why are you protecting Leia?"

"You are my wife," he answered simply.

"No, I'm not. I am Anakin Skywalker's wife."

"Foolish woman," he replied. She stood up to him whenever everyone else wouldn't dare. Even after Mustafar she seemed to have no fear of him.

"How could you do this? How could you murder so many sentinents? I don't understand how you could become his slave."

"It's not like you didn't know that I was capable of this before we married," he snapped. "I told you what I had done on Tattooine."

"That was different and you know it. Those people had tortured your mother."

"That's enough, I don't want to talk about that."

"What do you want to talk about? That's the second time I've tried to have a serious conversation with you and you've changed the subject."

"I don't care to discuss Skywalker's past."

"You are Anakin Skywalker."

"Not anymore."

"So you perfer the name Palpatine gave you over the one your mother gave you."

"You may visit with Leia while I conclude these tests," he stated dismissing her. She nodded and watched as Captain Piett came to escort her. "For your protection. My men have been out without a woman for many months, I don't want them to get any ideas about my wife." She nodded again, as Captain Piett escorted her to visit Princess Leia.

"You are perfectly safe with me, Lady Vader."

"Leia, what do you know of her."

"They say that she's sure to become Senator of Alderaan by the time she's eighteen. That's just a rumor however, milady. She is a Representative of Alderaan. She's very couragous and I fear involved with the Rebel Alliance."

"What is the Alliance."

"The Alliance to Restore the Galactic Republic. They are mostly a small group of Rebels, but I fear they are growing in number. Your husband is a very tactical man."

"Yes, he served as a General of the Clone Wars."

"The men respect him as much as they fear him. He is the one leader that whenever we fight he's right there on the front line with his men. The Emperor has never been seen on the front lines."

"I see," she stated, wondering if he was the only one whose loyalty was to her husband rather than the Emperor. Perhaps there was hope to restore the Republic. If she could get through to her husband.

"Here we are, Cell block 1138. Princess Leia Organa.


	6. Chapter Five: Son of Suns

Son of Suns

Luke Anakin Skywalker, nephew of Owen and Beru Lars, lived on Tattooine with his aunt and uncle helping them with their moisture farm but what he really wanted was to get off this sad excuse of a planet. Luke knew that he was different, he was different from his aunt and uncle, he was different from his friends. Luke didn't know much about himself, his heritage. Uncle Owen had been his father's stepbrother. He knew his father had left Tattooine to join the Clone Wars, he had been a navigator on a space freighter. He had died just before he had been born in a huge explosion during the war. He knew even less about his mother, just that she had been beautiful and that his father had flown with her during the war. She had had an assassination attempt on her at some point, and that was when they had met and fell in love, and poof he had been born and she had died, his birth being a difficult one. He almost felt like he was missing an arm, sometimes he had phantom pains and he wasn't sure why or where they came from. Luke always dreamed that his father was alive, that he has survived the explosion in space, and that one day his father would return to Tattooine and be looking for him, that he would take him away from his aunt and uncle, away from the horrid nickname of Wormie, away from Tattooine and they would settle on a more tropical planet, where they would be a real family.

'Keep your head out of the stars, Luke' he told himself in a voice that sounded much like his uncle's. He had dreams too, dreams about getting into the Imperial Army, dreams of flying, of being free. Perhaps, he would even join the Rebellion, it wasn't like he loved the Empire but that was his easiest shot off this planet, he would earn a steady paycheck flying, which was what he felt he was born to do. He snuck out sometimes to watch the podraces. Podraces were extremely dangerous. They said no human could do it, but there were whispers that a slave had once done it and won, leaving this planet for good. Luke had wondered too far this time, and the threat of the Sandpeople loomed above him as he found himself outside of a shack in Ben's Mesa. What was he doing here?

"Luke," he heard from behind him. "Luke Skywalker? What are you doing way out here?"

"Ben? How do you know my name? You were the one, the one that rescued me and Biggs from the dragon."

"Yes, I thought you had forgotten."

"My uncle says you are dangerous," Luke stated suddenly.

"Ah, yes. And you were curious is that it? You have nothing to fear from me, young one."

"Why does he say that?"

"Because I'm deadly with a weapon?" Obi-Wan stated, a small ghost of a smile crossing his face, once he had joked with the boy's father. "Sometimes, when beings don't understand something they fear it. I am not like most people."

"Neither am I. Uncle's not afraid of me."

"Can you keep a secret, Luke?"

"Of course, on my life, Ben."

"I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father."

"You are wrong, my father wasn't a Jedi. He was a pilot."

"He was a legendary pilot, a cunning warrior, and a good friend."

"You knew my father."

"Yes, I was one of the few people who had the pleasure of knowing Anakin Skywalker, the man, and not the legend. He was my pupil, and my best friend."

Luke sat down and Ben poured him a glass of water. "What was he like?"

"He was larger than life, he made the impossible seem merely difficult. He had a greatest in spirit that no one in the galaxy could compete with. He gave everything for those he loved. I hear you have become a great pilot yourself."

"I hope...do you think he would be proud of me?"

"I'm certain of it, young Luke." 

"What happened to the Jedi?" What could Obi-Wan tell the boy? It didn't seem fair to tell a fifteen year old kid that his father was responsible for the state of the galaxy. He could tell the boy worshiped his father. Oh, Anakin, what have you done? What did I do, leaving you on Coruscent? If only I had been there instead of Mace things might have been different. If only you could have confided in me. If only...Obi-Wan was shook out of his thoughts by Luke's force presence. He hadn't done anything, yet he had felt a soft prickling, he was sure the boy hadn't realized it.

"A young pupil of mine named Darth Vader joined the Emperor, he hunted down and destroyed the Jedi. The Jedi were too trusting, too good for their own good, perhaps, failing to realize that while the body of the Republic was sound that the head was corrupt leaving it open for the manipulations of the Emperor. Once the Emperor had Darth Vader, all hope was lost..." he trailed off looking at Luke who was along with his twin sister, their last hope. He was positive that Leia was alive despite the reports to the contrary. If Darth Vader had her, he had two options he could save her or he could protect Luke. He knew Luke would have to face his father, could he leave him to the fate of having to face his twin sister as well. In his mind, Anakin was not Darth Vader, Anakin had died the moment he had left to destroy General Grevious, then Darth Vader had been born within the body of his friend. He contemplated his next move, the Force was telling him to give Anakin's son his lightsaber. "I have something for you, your father wanted you to have it when you were old enough, if you will just open that chest. It's at the bottom. There's a small box."

Luke handed him the box, and Obi-Wan didn't go directly to the lightsaber, as he should have. He picked up a holo of him along with Padme and Anakin, shortly after Anakin's arm had been replaced, Anakin had chided him and Padme to take a picture with him, swearing that he would have a relapse if they didn't. Anakin had one arm swung over Padme and the other arm swung over him, he was looking intently into the camera with his trademark Skywalker grin, Padme had her hand on his chest, her fingers on his padawan braid. "This was while your father was still my pupil."

"Who is the woman?"

"Your mother. Padme Amidala." Luke had never seen a likeness of his parents. He stared at his father, his father couldn't have been much older than he was now, he had the same blonde hair, blue eyes, as his father's, although his father's seemed shadowed even as he smiled, he seemed in the middle of a laugh. His father was wearing robes of dark brown, he glanced at old Ben. He was right, his father had been a Jedi, for the robes Ben wore seemed like the ones Ben wore now. He moved his gaze to that of his mother. She had her hair loose, and it was curly, and he hated to admit, he shared some of her delicate features, She had been beautiful. She had loved his father, that he was sure of. She had eyes the color of hot chocolate and then he looked at Ben. Ben seemed happy, maybe a hint of worry shadowed his eyes. They lacked the guilt that hung in them now.

"What happened?"

"They died, tragically," Obi-Wan stated, his voice hollow.

"Can I keep this?"

"Of course. I have many more in the box. There should be a long cylinder shaped object. Press the button but hold it away from you."

"Wow," he stated, moving it up and down.

"Your father's lightsaber. Certainly more accurate than a blaster. A more elegant weapon from a more civilized era. Before the Empire. A weapon of a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic."

"Thank you, Ben," he stated, as he disengaged the lightsaber and went to hug old Ben. Obi-Wan stood there with his hands limp at the side, it had been so long since anyone had hugged him. He could clearly remember the last time. Before Anakin's death. When Anakin had apologized for his behavior to the Council, and despite it all, Obi-Wan had agreed with him, he did deserve the rank of Master. Anakin had looked at him like he wanted to tell him something, and, now he wished he had pushed the matter. Anakin had hugged him as he had told him that he would need him. Obi-Wan had agreed with him, why hadn't he pushed it with the council. His hands came up in an unfamiliar matter as he patted his back carefully. He had been too close to Anakin , he could not afford to get too close to his son, what if, it happened again. He would not survive losing another to the dark side, losing another to the Emperor. Only now, did he understand why Qui-Gon had been so reluctant to take him as an apprentice. Losing a friend, losing a brother, losing a son, to the dark side was excruciatingly painful. When he went to save Leia, if she were with Darth Vader, he may not return, yet he felt something different in the Force, something had changed, and he doubted that Luke was safe now.

"Luke, we need to get off this planet."

Those should have been the words that he had wanted to hear forever, but there was an urgency in Ben's voice that worried him.

"What about Aunt and Uncle."

"They will only be in danger as long as you are with them."

"Why?"

"Because you are the son of a Jedi Knight."

"What has changed?"

"I fear the Emperor may have discovered your presence. If he were to discover you now, Luke, the galaxy will have dire results."


	7. Chapter 6: Cell Block

Cell Block 1138

Padme Amidala stepped in the cell block. It was a basic cell block, with a couple of cots, not unlike the rooms her husband had had on ship during the war. She stepped in to see a fifteen year old girl with dark brown hair in a familiar hair style, one that originated in Naboo, one that she had worn during her term as Senator. The girl was dressed from head to foot in white. She wore a dress that had a long hood and on her feet were white boots.

"Hello, Leia."

Leia turned to look at her, and Padme noticed that her hair although the same color as her own was wavy not curly, like Anakin's mother's had been. Her face was sharper, she had Anakin's nose and his sharp chin.

"That's Princess Leia Organa," Leia replied, her voice sharp, as if she was used to issuing commands as her husband had. Padme sat down on the cot across from her.

"My name is Padme Amidala, and I'm your mother."

Leia stared at the woman in front of her. 'My name is Padme Amidala, and I'm your mother.' The woman had such a soft face, and she didn't appear to be much older than she was. Early to mid-twenties Leia would guess. How was it possible that this woman was her mother? It had to be a lie. First, Darth Vader was not acting as himself, and now this woman showed up in her prison cell no less, and claimed to be her mother.

"Is Darth Vader holding you prisoner?"

"No, Leia, he's not."

"You work for him? You work for Darth Vader?" she asked incredulously .

"No."

"Then what are you doing here? Did you come to rescue me? Where have you been all my life? Why wasn't I raised with you?"

"I died shortly after you were born, my dead," Padme stated, tears filling her eyes.

"What happened?"

"Darth Vader brought me back," she stated, her lips trembling over that hideous name.

"Why would he do that?" she asked, "He's a monster. Do you have any idea what he's done? He's enslaved the Wookiees. I set them free. He's hunted down the Jedi. He created this Empire. He's fought us tooth and nail, taking away our freedoms. He's the Emperor's slave, even Tarkin holds his leash. He hates politics and would have them disbanded if possible. He leaves a garrison of stormtroopers wherever he goes to report back to the Emperor. He stifles the people with his army and he sets up security holos everyone to report back to him."

"He wasn't always a monster. I don't believe that the good in him is completely destroyed."

"What are you saying? That you like that monster!"

"Leia there are things I need to tell you," she stated calmly.

"What is it?" Leia snapped clearly upset.

"You are just like your father," Padme commented dryly, full of passion for her cause, full of a selfless sense of right and wrong. "Your father was a wonderful man, so full of passion, so sure of what was right and wrong."

"What happened to him?" Padme searched for the words to explain to her.

"He's trapped within Darth Vader's world."

"He's using my father to keep you here. Well, we will just rescue him."

"It's not that simple, Leia."

"I don't see the problem, Mother," Leia stated and Padme put her arms around her.

"My precious baby girl, I'm so so sorry," and with that Padme broke down and hugged her, pressing her wet cheek against her daughter's. She couldn't seem to stop crying. Leia had called her mother. She had missed her daughter's childhood, to say nothing of her son's childhood. She had lost her husband, she had to believe temporarily to the dark side, all for one man's quest for power. Palpatine had destroyed her family and he was going to pay if it was the last thing she did. "There's something I must tell you; you have a brother."


	8. Chapter Seven: Lord and Lady Vader

Lord and Lady Vader

Padme kissed her daughter's forehead before she slipped her a datapad that she had quickly made a copy of and handed it to her daughter. "I love you, my darling daughter."

"I love you too, Mother, even if I don't understand everything yet. I'm going to get out of here, I want you to come with me."

"I would only put you in danger. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. When the time is right we will find one another. Have faith, my darling daughter." With that Padme left to once again find her husband. Captain Piett was there as an escort. He was an intelligent man, from all that she could see, he seemed to be a man she would have allied herself with as Queen and Senator, it would have been a better choice than Palpatine. That name left a foul taste in her mouth, along with the name he had given her husband. It was so hard to believe, it was so hard for her to believe, that Anakin had become that thing. She remembered the dinner she had had with him at his mother's home on Tattooine.

_'Mom, you always say that the real problem in the galaxy is that no one helps anyone else.'_

_'I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son at risk. We'll find some other way.'_

_'No, there is no other way. I believe in my heart that he was meant to save you.'_

_'I'm doing this to save you, to protect you.'_

_'All I need is your love.'_

_'Love can't save you, Padme, only my new powers can do that.'_

Yes, Anakin was still in there. There was still hope. She knew that she had to make him talk, and to do that she was going to have to make him angry, a thought she didn't relish, but was committed to otherwise he would keep putting off what was really important, and to save her daughter she would have to save her father. And Luke? Where was her son? Captain Piett led her to a meeting room where there stood invisible at the back of the room, as she watched as they were all seated except the man who had once been Anakin Skywalker and another man, a high ranking officer. The Imperials were heavily involved in a meeting and she put a finger over her lips to let Captain Piett know she wished to listen without them knowing she was there.

"Until this battle station is fully operational, we are vulnerable. The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped! They're more dangerous than you realize," stated a man she would soon learn had the name of Cassio Tagge.

"Dangerous to your starfleet, Commander, _not_ to this battle station," stated another man named Conan Antonio Motti.

"But the Imperial Senate..."

"Do you question the Imperial's authority?" asked a man that she would soon learn was the Grand Moff Tarkin, a man that detested her daughter.

Tagge was obviously a stubborn man for he continued to speak. "Of course not, but how will he maintain control. Surely the bureaucracy must maintain control. Afterall, the Rebellion is continuing to gain support in the Imperial Senate."

"Fear will keep the local systems in line, fear of this battle station," replied Tarkin.

"And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it," replied Taggue, the discussion growing heated. During this entire spectacle Padme couldn't keep her eyes off of her husband, and the sound of his breathing, finally he spoke.

"The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands." She took a moment to be shocked, Anakin had learned politics. She shouldn't be surprised, but Anakin had always detested politics. She imagined working so closely with Palpatine, he had demanded it of Anakin despite his wishes, she remembered him complaining when he had had to attend due to his status of posterboy, '_It's so boring, Padme, how do you stand it, my love?" _She had laughed at him and eagerly climbed into his lap, looking into his face before replying. _'Anakin, for me, politics is for me, what being a Jedi is for you. It gives me a chance to help people, to make their lives better._' He had shook his head at her and Padme was taken out of her thoughts by Motti's next comment.

"Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe! I suggest we use it!" She bit her lip, knowing that a comment like that was guaranteed to make him husband's temper come loose. Anakin placed his faith in the force, not in machines, no matter how adept he was .

"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you have constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next too the power of the Force." Padme watched as her husband walked over to him, and lifted his hand and Motti's face looked like it was placed against an invisible wall, it was all smashed to the side, against air. Padme placed her own hand against her throat, remembering the pressure that had been there so long ago.

"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen dataplans or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels hidden fort-" he was cute off as he grasped at his throat and made wheezing sounds. Padme rushed forward to stop him as Tarkin spoke.

"Vader, release him." Padme ran forward and grabbed him hand.

"Anakin, don't do this." He turned his face to look at her, and for the life of her she didn't know what he was thinking, "Please, let him go. For me."

"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

"Enough of this! Vader, release him!"

"As you wish," he replied. "My wife, Lady Padme Vader." She put on her political face, a face she knew he detested.

"If you will please excuse us, my husband and I have some matters to discuss," she stated looking back and forth.

"This meeting is nearly, concluded. Have a seat," he stated. She looked around and noticed the empty seat and sat down, the only woman in this male dominated meeting.

"This bickering is pointless. Now Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the hidden Rebel fortress. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke."

"Meeting adjourned," Darth Vader concluded, looking at his wife. He waited for everyone to leave, noticing Captain Piett stayed in the corned. "Captain Piett, you may go. I will contact you when you are needed."

"As you wish, milord."

"You will be pleased to know that Leia Organa was born Leia Skywalker, she is our daughter."

"She's Anakin's daughter," Padme disputed. "Now what, Anakin. You have hurt her, I don't think letting her know that she is Vader's daughter is the best solution."

"She's my daughter, I willnot allow the Rebels to get their hands on her again."

"It's what she wants, Anakin. You cannot force her to believe things your way, neither can you force me to love you," she stated calmly.

"She's my daughter, I can keep her safe."

"How long before the Emperor visits and discovers her presence?"

"I wouldn't allow that."

"You have her in a prison cell."

"It's for her own protection."

"Do you wish to lock me up as well?" she asked, as he started pacing.

"Do you plan on leaving me?" he asked, and she sensed the sadness behind such a statement, despite the tone of his voice.

"I'm not sure, Anakin. As I told you on Mustafar, I don't know you anymore."

"I'm your husband. I'm in control now, we don't have to hide anymore. We are free to be together."

"Really? What will your master do when he discovers what you've done. When he discovers my exsistance and that of our children."

"I will protect you."

"I don't think you can. Anakin could have, but as you remind me you aren't him."

"Stop it. Stop it, Padme. I'm here. I'm your husband, stop talking to me so impassionatly, like you don't care."

"Alright then, Anakin. Tell me! Tell me why you joined the dark side!"

"You know why."

"Tell me, or so Force help me I will die again. I will find a way."

"I joined Sidious to save you from my nightmares."

"Did it work?"

"Pardon me?"

"I said, Anakin Skywalker, did join the dark side give you what you want! Are you happy, serving the Dark Side? Do you have everything you ever wanted?"

"No. You died, I Lost you."

"Then why continue serving the dark side! Why continue on this path?" She ran up to him and banged on his chest, "I want my husband back!" she screamed, tears feeling her eyes and rolling down them. He moved his arms to hold her, as she cried on his chest.

Darth Vader moved his arms awkwardly to hold his wife. "I never meant to cause you grief." She stepped away from him.

"So what if you had a hard life, who cares Anakin Skywalker! You were a slave, boo-hoo, you were rescued you had a mother who loved you, you were a hero on Naboo. You became a Jedi and you lost your mother, big flipping deal, other people have suffered loss too, they didn't massacre a village out of fear. Then you turn on the Jedi, on your friends, your family."

"You and the children are my family."

"Obi-Wan was like your brother and you destroyed him."

"I don't see him walking around like this."

"You should be well aware there is more than one way to destroy a person, and now you have your daughter locked in a holding cell. You killed children, is that what you plan on doing to Leia. I will not stand by idly while you order her execution. If anything happens to her, I'm leaving you."

"No harm will come to her, I promise you. How can I make this up to you?" He reached out for her blindly as if he couldn't see.

"I want you to become Anakin Skywalker again."

"I don't know that I can."

"Let me contact Kamino, let me give you back your face."

"If my master were to find out..."

"You give him that much control over you?" she asked incredulously.

"That day on Mustafar, Padme, I lost everything."

"Well, here's your chance, Anakin, to get it all back. Won't you even try?"

"I will try, for you, but it may be too late. The Dark Side doesn't let you go easily, my love."

"Allow me to search for you. Let me take Leia with me."

"I don't know. Let me think on this, Padme," he stated taken her arm and leading her away. "It's been a long day, you need your sleep. I will try, that's all I can promise."

"It's happened before. The Jedi Revan who destroyed the Republic only to make it better."

"That was a long time ago."

"Aren't you the Chosen One? The one destined to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force."

"I will allow you to talk to those on Kamino. Now to bed with you, my love." She nodded, as she turned her back to him and put on a nightgown of blue, it was a familiar nightgown.

"You had these from our apartment?"

"Yes, I did. I hoped it would please you."


	9. Chapter 8:Kamino

Kamino

Obi-Wan knew of a place he could hide Luke for something had changed within the Force, something that could bring Darth Vader to Tattooine, he knew. If Darth Vader set foot on Tattooine he would find Luke and all their hope could be lost. He was taking Luke to Kamino, since the Emperor had ordered the production of clones to cease he had no doubt that they would be safe there. He sensed that the Force was drawing him to Kamino. He hired a pilot, named Han Solo, to take them to Kamino despite young Luke's protests. They arrived there one standard day later and Obi-Wan kept himself from reaching out to the force, Vader would be constantly searching for his presence in the Force and if he were to find him before Luke was trained it could have dire affects for the galaxy, almost as dire as the fall of the Chosen One. Perhaps, they had been wrong. Perhaps, Anakin hadn't been the Chosen One, but Luke was. But Luke had had a father, Anakin. Obi-Wan shook his head to clear it from those thoughts, speculating was getting him no where. He could almost hear Qui-Gon admonishing him to keep him mind on the here and now. In the present. He frowned as he watched Luke, he went to him and covered his eyes. "Again."

"How am I supposed to hit it if I can't even see?"

"Your eyes can confuse you, reach out with your feelings, young Luke." He smiled as Luke completed the excersize correctly and the excited look that came across his face, and once again, he was reminded of Anakin.

_'Master, I did it right that time. I just know I did. It was the same feeling I got when I was 'raceing. I did do right, Master, even though I started late." and Anakin would have continued on if Obi-Wan hadn't reached out and patted Anakin's shoulder awkwardly and tilted his chin up to look at him._

"_Yes, Anakin, you did well."_

_The smile slipped from Anakin's face as he studied Obi-Wan silently and before Obi-Wan could wonder what he was thinking he spoke softly, sadly. "I want to make Mom proud of me. I want to make you proud of me. I don't want to ever give you a reason to regret training me. Do you think somewhere Qui-Gon is looking down on me and smiling?"_

"_Anakin, Qui-Gon is one with the Force. He's not immortal. He can't reach out from beyond the force. When I die, when you die, we will be at peace however there's no reaching out, no looking back."_

"_Never?"_

"_It's the way of things. Now, come along, you have more classes to master today. I am very impressed and tomorrow I will begin to instruct you without the remote. Perhaps I will even find some younglings for you to spar with."_

"_I'm going to win, Master."_

"_A Jedi does not seek dominance, Anakin. This is a chance to test your skills against an opponent."_

Obi-Wan shook his head clearing it, as they landed on Kamino. The pilot smiled cockily as he explained different things about Kamino to them. They all disembarked including Artoo and Three-pio and Obi-Wan briefly wondered how the Force worked through these two droids, even if Three-pio didn't remember him or Qui-Gon, Padme or Anakin, he was now Luke's droid. What irony. He led the trio behind him and the droids to Jango's old apartment and waited Taun Le's appearance. She would arrive sooner or later he knew. The place for him right now was on Kamino, he knew it as much as he knew his own name, as much as he knew Luke was Anakin's son.


	10. Chapter Nine: Trip

Trip

Padme Skywalker nee Amidala, awoke to a different room than she had fallen asleep in. This room looked almost like the bedroom from their apartment, that they had shared on Coruscent while married. Everything was draped in pastel shades of blue, purple, and green. It made her smile as she thought of the last time her husband had smiled at her. Or as she thought of the look on his face as she had revealed her secret to him, she had been pregnant. She felt her very flat stomach as the other memories washed over her. Anakin, her Ani, the boy who had saved Theed, the man who had won her heart, who had professed his love for her, who had protected her and fought for truth and justice had turned into a monster. He had become Darth Vader. As if that realization brought him to her, she heard the deep, mechanical breathing of a breathing asparagus and turned to look into the black face of a mask, it seemed eerily family as if it was entirely a Sith creation, no doubt that had been Sidious's thoughts when he had done this to her husband, always trying to destroy the good that had resided within him. She cursed herself for not seeing who he had been sooner, for not trying to keep Anakin from Sidious's manipulations.

"Are you pleased?" he asked her, in a deep voice, a voice much deeper than his had ever been.

"Thank you, Anakin. Yes, this room pleases me," she answered honestly. Was her husband still in there, inside that machine? She longed to see his twinkling blue eyes, as he fought against his lips that wanted to smile. She longed to press herself into his chest, to feel his warmth around her. Tears formed in her eyes without her realizing it.

"What's wrong, Padme?" he asked in that same voice. She missed his voice caressing her, telling her everything would be alright, that he would always return to her.

"I...miss you," she stated softly.

"I'm right here, Padme."

"No, I miss my husband. I miss hearing your voice," she tried to explain, but he held up a hand to silence her, how long, she wondered had his word been taken as absolute, how long since he had been challenged? She watched as he took a meditative stance that she recognized and then she heard him, his voice inside her head.

'Padme'

"Oh, Ani," she said allowed.

'I would do anything for you, my love.'

"I know, Anakin. Make the preparations. I'm leaving. I'm going to Kamino. We are going to fix this." She neared him and reached to touch the black mask.

"As you wish," she stated and then did an about face ready to carry out her orders.

"I wish to see Leia before I go."

"I will have it arranged."

Padme quickly showered and changed into a yellow dress that flowed off her shoulders and had different Naboo flowers embroidered on the dress. She slipped into yellow shoes and applied her make-up, leaving her hair down as Anakin liked it. Soon, she heard a knock on the door.

"Lady Vader, it's me, Piett."

Padme opened the door and smiled at him, "Do you have a first name, Piett?"

"Firmus."

"Please call me Padme," she stated putting him at ease.

"You are a vision of beauty milady. Lord Vader has insisted that I accompany you to Kamino. I have his medical records for your convince and any security clearances that may be needed."

"Yes, I just need to finish packing."

"No need milady Padme, Lord Vader will have it taken care of."

"Alright."

"I'm to escort you to see Princess Organa."

"Leia?"

"Yes milady." She smiled at him, he was rather good at following orders and providing information to her.

"What has become of Bail Organa?"

"He is still a member of the Imperial Senate. His wife, Queen Breha died several years ago."

"So Leia has been without a mother."

"Not anymore. She has you."

"Thanks."

"We're here."

Padme knocked softly and then pushed the door open. Leia sat there in the same outfit she had worn the day before, her hair still in the cinnamon buns it had been in the day before. She knew from experience that that couldn't be comfortable. She motioned for Leia to get on the floor in front of her as Padme sat behind her and began to undo her hair.

"You have your grandmother's hair," she mummered.

"What do you mean?" Leia asked her.

"Anakin's mother, her hair was wavy, not curly like mine. Anakin's hair is the same way but the color is different. Shmi, had the same color as yours."

"What was she like?" Leia asked her. Padme smoothed out one side of her hair and began on the other side.

"She was a kind woman, but sad. She was captured when she was young and sold into slavery. When I was Queen of Naboo, the Trade Federation made attempts to kidnap me so I was disguising myself as a handmaiden and one of my handmaidens was disguised as the Queen of Naboo. On Naboo it's tradition that the Queen wear heavy white make-up so the Trade Federation never suspected and anything Sabe signed wouldn't hold up. I was with two Jedi when our starship needed parts."

"Mother, who were the Jedi."

"Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi? I sent my Artoo unit to find him."

"Artoo-Dee-too?"

"Yes, of course."

"I once gave a Artoo-Dee too to your father," she mummered, combing her fingers through her daughter's hair. "That's when I met your father. He was nine years old. He worked in a junk shop that we were trying to secure the parts for my ship so that we could return to Coruscent and plead our case to the Senate. Your father said to me, 'Are you an angel?" Padme laughed at the memory as Leia shifted to look at her.

"I could see how he could mistake you for an angel. I've heard about them."

"They live on Iago. You see, Anakin, was a pilot and he listened to all the deep space pilots talk. Ani, was, a slave, as well. You see, he was very very special. He told me he was going to marry me someday."

"So you got married that day?" Leia asked. Padme frowned, what hadn't she explained right?

"The day I met your father I was fourteen."

"You were real young to be Queen."

"And your father was nine,"she whispered remembering the way Ani had looked at nine, so full of life, so sure of right and wrong, mopy blonde hair, startling blue eyes and a heart filled with gold, compassion darkening his eyes as he worried about her and Qui-Gon.

"You said I have a brother," Leia interrupted.

"Yes, he's your twin. He was born minutes before you. I named him Luke, Luke Anakin Skywalker."

"Skywalker."

"Your name at birth was Leia Amidala Skywalker. And now, my dear, I must go. I will return shortly."

"Mother, will you be safe?"

"I will, my dear, my sweet, precious Leia. Have hope. Have faith. You will not remain prisoner long."

"Mother," she cried throwing herself in her mother's arms. "I love you."

Tears filled Padme's eyes as she held Leia in her arms and then as the thought occurred to her she reach behind her neck and took off the japor snippet, "I love you too, my little Leia. This will bring you good luck."

"What is it?"

"It's a japor snippet, it's made from the bone of a japor, found on Tattooine. Your father gave it to me, it's supposed to bring good fortune. I want you to have it."

"I couldn't."

"Until I return, little Leia."

"Good Luck, Mother."

"Until I see you again," she whispered as she kissed her cheeks and brushed back the hair from her daughter's eyes, "Smile for me," she whispered, as Anakin always had when he left her. "I want the memory I hold to my heart to be of you smiling," she smiled herself, a shaky smile against the tears that flowed down her cheeks, upon leaving her long-lost daughter. Firmus Piett came in and escorted her out, and she put her arms around his waist and cried uncontrollably.

"Padme, please." Padme continued to cry as he wormed her arms away from his waist. "Milady, General Rex will be flying you to Kamino.

"Where is Ani?" she whispered between sobs. She wanted to wrap her arms around his broad chest, she wanted his lips covering hers, his voice caressing her as his lightly teased her for her sentiments. She heard the deep breathing and threw herself in his arms. "Promise me."

"Anything, my love."

"You'll watch over Leia. Can she not be let out of that prison room?"

He looked at her with a frown, he hadn't really considered. He had thought the Rebellion would be after her. But if he had guards outside her room. "It will be done. I will keep her safe."

"And you will visit with her."

"As you wish."

"And you won't tell her you are her father."

"I shall await your return."

"Thank you, Ani."

"Piett, I want you to assign Alpo and Cody to watch after her. Send them to escort her to my chambers."

"Of course, mi lord. I will return shortly, milady."

"I have your things packed, Padme. Piett will escort you to Kamino. He will make sure you are safe."

"Do you have many enemies?"

"There are always enemies."

"I warned you about this. I told you you couldn't squash the people. This Empire is wrong."

"Sidious's rule leaves something to be desired. He must be overthrown so that we can start over."

"You aren't suggesting taking his place, are you?" she asked looking horrified as she pulled away and stepped back. "Democracy must be returned."

"You know how corrupt democracy was. How they would have never sent him to Naboo. Naboo is safe. They've renamed a city after you. It's called Amidala City." He remembered when the petition had come through. He had commended the Queen as he had sent back a plague to put at the entrance of the city.

"Democracy isn't perfect, but it was better than this Empire of yours."

"Even with the war?"

"Even with the war Palpatine orchestrated. And I was a puppet. But no longer. I will not stand by idly and watch you stifle the people," she declared hotly as Piett returned. "Let's go," she snapped as she waited for him to lead her away from her husband. She watched as he shoulders slumped even lower. What had Palpatine done to him? She didn't believe Obi-Wan had done that to him, not for a minute. Her husband had been arrogant,but he had had a heart of gold, he had been proud and unselfish, he had still had growing up to do and had needed humility but to see him so broken brought fresh tears to her cheeks as she wondered how Palpatine had punished him over the years.


	11. Chapter 10:apks

Amidala, Piett, Skywalker and Kenobi

General Rex announced to Piett and Padme that Kamino was coming up. "Rex, I remember you from the Clone Wars."

"And I remember you, Senator Amidala."

"What happened to Anakin?" she asked softly.

"It's not really my place, milady," he stated dutifully.

"I'm his wife, I deserve to know."

"That's up to Lord Vader, milady. This here is our start. I suggest you talk to Taun We. She is the overseer here."

"Thank you, Rex. I will do that. One more thing, what happened to Ashoka?"

"MIA. Even with Order Sixty Six we couldn't find her." Padme narrowed her eyes at him."When Anakin left the Outer Rim, didn't he leave Ashoka in charge?"

"Yes, Commander Tano was in charge."

"Above you."

"Yes. Lord Vader had instructed me to look after her."

"Then what happened?"

"Order Sixty Six. It was our order to turn on our Jedi commanders. We did. She went MIA. We reported the issue to command."

"She's never been found?"

"No ma'am. I need to take care of the docking fees, Lady Vader. If you will please excuse me..." she allowed him to leave her sight as she stood with Piett at her side and went to find Taun Le. Instead, she heard the sounds of a lightsaber, a sound she knew well. She followed the sound and found herself staring at two familiar droids.

"Artoo!" she exclaimed. The last time she had seen Artoo and Three-pio was on Mustafar. He beeped and moved toward her as she rubbed his dome. "Three-pio, how is this possible? What are you doing on Kamino?"

"I'm sorry milady but my sensors do not recognize you."

"You don't recognize me? You used to work with me in the Senate." She was briefly puzzled and turned her attention past him to the older man with two young boys.

One that looked as familiar to her as her own face. "Anakin?" she whispered, she suddenly felt very dizzy as the world slipped from beneath her. The older man caught her just in time and he carried her to the bed and commanded the boy, "Luke, please get me a cloth from the 'fresher."

"Who is she? Why did she call me by my father's name? Ben?"

"Please, we will need to revive her Luke."

"She's in my care," Piett spoke up.

"And who might you be?" Ben asked, noting the Imperial uniform.

"Captain Fimus Piett, Captain of the Imperial Navy, 501'st division, member of Lord Vader's hand."

"I see."

"Do you know who I am?"

"No."

"My name is Ben Kenobi and this is my grandson, Luke Kenobi-Skywalker and his friend, our pilot, Han Solo."

"My Lady Vader," Piett stated nodding to the woman who was now out cold.

"I wonder what is her legal name?"

"Padme Amidala."

"Oh Sith," Kenobi swore. "He did it, he brought her back."

"That's ludicrous," stated Han Solo. "It ain't real. It's all a bunch of crazy magic tricks."

"It's very real, son. All too real. This woman was...is Luke's mother, the wife of Anakin Skywalker."


	12. Chapter Eleven: About Anakin

About Anakin

Finally, Padme's eyes fluttered open, as she stared into a pair of familiar gray eyes although the face seemed much older than the last time she had seen it, the worry, the concern she found there was the same. He had aged so much while she had remained frozen. He had aged much too quickly, why he wasn't but around her own age, about five years older perhaps, and the worry and the guilt had aged him much too fast. "Obi-Wan?" she whispered.

"Senator, what are you doing on Kamino?" he asked, as she became aware of the warm cloth on her head. She reached to remove it and touched Obi-Wan's hand, she squeezed it gently.

"I'm here for Anakin."

"Anakin?"

"It wasn't your fault, Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan looked around at the curious glances he was getting from Han and the force-presence from Luke meant he was returning from the 'fresher.

"Han, why don't you and Luke go and get something to eat." Han shrugged as he waited for the credits. Obi-Wan jerked his hand away from Padme's and handed the boy the credits as he headed Luke out with talk of food, Piett followed a safe distance away. A laughter escaped Padme's lips.

"He's just like Anakin, the mere mention of food and he forgets anything else. That is Luke, my son?"

"Yes, that's Luke. He's a lot like you as well, Padme. I apologize for sending him away but I haven't told him what became of his father," Obi-Wan's eyes darted away from hers guiltily.

"You blame yourself. Obi-Wan you were a great mentor. Anakin always spoke very highly of you. He valued your friendship more than anything. He loved you like a father."

"I wasn't there when he needed me. I knew that there were changes in him, that he was spending too much time with Palpatine."

"So did I. I was on the Delegation of 2000, trying to get Palpatine to give up his power, I asked Anakin to have him do that. He was being pulled in so many directions. If anyone's to blame it would be me. I was pregnant with the twins, he had been newly appointed to the council, it was hard on us keeping our marriage a secret and then I was pregnant. Anakin was so excited when he found out, and then he began having nightmares, I didn't realize they were bothering him so much. No one dies in childbirth these days, even mothers' who are slaves make it through childbirth."

"Padme."

"And Palpatine he used his love for me, threatened my very life if he didn't join him. That doesn't mean that anything excuses his actions."

"I'm sorry, Padme."

"Palpatine is the only monster here. He manipulated the entire war so that he could place the blame on the Jedi. But Anakin brought me back, he knows that it was a mistake following the dark side. He's agreed to try."

"Why are you here?"

"To give him back a reflection. It's much easier to commit atrocities whenever you don't have to look at your reflection."

"Do you think that would really help?"

"I'm here to give it a shot and as you Jedi would say, trust in the Force."

"You would have made a wonderful Jedi."

"So will Luke. Are you training him?"

"I am. About Leia. I'm so sorry." Padme felt her face pale.

"What do you mean?"

"There was a distress signal sent from her ship. All sentinents were destroyed."

"When was this?"

"Two weeks ago."

"No, Obi-Wan, Leia is onboard the _Executor_. She's with her father."

"She's alive."

"Yes, she's beautiful, Obi-Wan."

"So I've heard. We are supposed to meet Senator Organa here. He was very worried about Leia. He adopted Leia. Leia and Luke were seperated for their own protection. They know nothing of each other."

"Not anymore. I told Leia."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Let's go find Taun Le," she nodded and offered her hand as they strode down the hall.


	13. Chapter 12: Vader's Story

Vader tells a Story

Leia was escorted to Darth Vader's chambers on the exit of her mother. She sensed intrigue. What did Darth Vader have to do with her family? With her mother, her father, and her brother? A small smile creased her lips as she thought of her twin brother, as she imagined what it could have been like to grow up with a twin brother? She had always sensed that she was incomplete, that there was something missing from her life. A twin. It was like a limb had been missing from her for her entire life and just now she was able to put a name to it.

She looked around the quarters and noticed a round breathing chamber. The air was quite different in here, and she had never before wondered what had happened to Vader to make him what he was, to confine him to the suit and to resonate such abnormal breathing. She thought again of her brother, and an image entered her head, she saw a boy around the same age as her with an easy smile, sitting down at a cafeteria with a Wookiee nearby and a man that couldn't be more than between five to ten years older than her, with a cocky smile as they discussed Padme. So that was were Padme was, she was with her brother. She looked again at the older man, he was handsome in a scruffy kind of way, he was unlike anyone she had ever met before and that intrigued her. The swoosh of a door behind her made her lose her concentration and the image floated away like a dream she had never had. Like the voice of a man that haunted her dreams. Like the face of her mother when she had seen her. The tears pouring down her face as she whispered her name. 'Leia' Leia shook her head as she looked up.

"Ah, Princess Leia, are you comfortable?"

"Am I a prisoner?"

"I've just received word that Grand Moff Tarkin had issued a warrant for your execution."

"How long?"

"Within the next twenty-four hours. My master has signed it, wanting to showing Organa and the rest of your little Rebellion the might of our resolve."

"I see."

"We've got to get you out of here. I've contacted Piett. Your mother is going to stage an escape."

Princess Leia was shocked. She stared at him with her mouth gaped open. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's complicated," he replied, sadly.

"After everything you've done, all the murder, all the destruction, why me?"

"I knew your father," he stated, recalling his promise to Padme, "and I made a promise to your mother to keep you safe."

"That's not why," she stated and for some reason she was unafraid of the Mighty Dark Lord, the sorcerer who could kill someone with only a thought, and she was unafraid, "There's more to it than that."

"Princess, do you want to stay here and die."

"Of course not. Can you tell me about them? About my mother and my father?"

"A can only tell you a little, for I have many duties to preform, to esnsure your escape."

"Of course."

"Your father wanted a family. He never had a family, not a dynamic family anyway. Whenever he was young, he had his mother. Then the Jedi came when he was nine and took him away from her. She wanted better for him than the life she could provide, but it was all for naught. She died ten years later in his arms after savages had taken her and beaten her and killed her. She suffered. Marriage and love were forbidden for a Jedi."

"But he married my mother?"

"Yes, he did. Your father didn't care for the rules of the Jedi, he had broken enough of them to be kicked out if he hadn't been the Chosen One. But attachments were forbidden to a Jedi. Nevertheless, your father loved your mother more than his own life, more than the lives of anything in the Galaxy, more than the war he was struggling to win."

"He fought in the Clone Wars? Like General Kenobi?"

"Kenobi is a lying, betraying, bastard. Kenobi should be wiped from the face of the Galaxy," the anger built up in him at the admiration in her voice as she said Kenobi's name. Suddenly, things around her started to shake before they settled.

"You, you did that."

"Yes. You could do it as well."

"No, no I could never."

"You are the offspring of Anakin Skywalker. Keep that a secret, I see that you have barriers around your mind."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do. It was a gift from your father. He was afraid, he wanted to protect you, Princess, so he constructed barriers around your mind that only the most powerful of the force-users could penetrate."

"What happened to him."

"He is a slave to the Emperor," Vader spoke evasively.

"How horrible. Is there anyway to save him?"

"If there is, I will die trying," he assured her.

"Thank you."

"Now I must leave you, so that I can prepare for your execution." He left her alone to her thoughts, and they were spinning out of control, it was so much to absorb. Maybe, just perhaps, Vader wasn't as bad as she had always thought.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Dr Nightshade

Doctor Nightshade

Padme and Obi-Wan went to speak with the healers on Kamino, she met with a Dr. Maila Nightshade and her team of Cloners.

"My husband was in an accident fifteen years ago," she whispered, "He's been hooked to a breathing asparagus ever since. Is there any way you can help him."

"I will need to know the extent of his injuries Mrs. Skywalker, and I can only speak about this with immediate family."

"This is his older brother, Ben."

"I see," Dr. Nightshade stated as she glanced between them, taking the data pad from the man's hand. "It appears that he has suffered extensive external damage, but other than his lungs his internal organs are very good considering, his heart is very strong."

"Anakin has always had a strong spirit," the man, Ben, stated calmly, almost with a sad sense of pride.

"Yes, we will have to do a skin graph and we should be able to regrow the loss limbs. Do you want them regrown? The technology of missing limbs has continued light years ahead of what was used on your husband Milady. Some of our clients actually prefer their artificial limbs to their natural ones, they look and feel almost the same as your natural skin the only difference being that we can enhance their reflexes and strength."

"You may leave the right arm," Ben stated softly.

"I would like to see your husband as soon as possible so that we can begin the skin graph. Of course we will first have to operate and get a sample of his lungs so that we can effectively regrow them, then we will replace the injured tissue with the clone tissue. I'm not going to lie to you Mrs. Skywalker, that will be a critical surgery, his condition will be unstable for forty-eight hours afterward. He will need a few weeks to heal before we begin the surgery on his exoskeleton. I believe that we have an eighty-five percent of a complete recovery."

"Only eighty-five percent?"

"We cannot guarantee a hundred percent, Mrs. Skywalker, but I believe your husband we be walking on his own legs, breathing on his own within two months."

"I want to thank you, this is a miracle, a dream come true," she stated her voice shakily. "I want you to charge this account," she stated pulling out the numbers her husband had given her. She dabbed at the tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes as her beacon went off. "If you will please excuse me."

Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi smile at Dr. Nightshade. "We appreciate all that you are doing for us," he stated softly.

"We have never had a case with both of these issues in a singular sentient, we have had one or the other but not both of them. Within a sufficient healing period, I believe you will have your brother back, Mr. Skywalker."

"Kenobi."

"Pardon?"

"Anakin and I are half-brothers," he lied easily enough.

"I see." Something in her memory stroke a chord, Kenobi and Skywalker.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but think of her words, 'You will have your brother back,' but would he. Most likely Anakin would wake up weak wanting his head on a platter. Until that fateful day on Mustafar he had never abandoned Anakin. Padme came back looking ashen.

"Obi-Wan, we have to go. I need you. The Emperor has signed off on Leia's execution. We have to rescue her."

"Anakin told you this?"

"Of course. Obi-Wan, he's promised to try, he doesn't want any harm to come to Leia. We must hurry."

"Of course, Padme, I'll go get Luke and Leia.


	15. Chapter 14: Apprentice and his Master

The Apprentice and the Master

Padme, Luke, Han, and Obi-Wan made their way into the tractor beam set for the Death Star and awaited the Dark Lord. Obi-Wan could feel his dark presence, the same dark presence he had felt on Mustafar, yet it was tinged with something like regret, or was he just imagining things that weren't there. He swung his gaze between Luke and Padme regret and pity in his gaze.

"Now there will be none of that, Obi-Wan," she said as she placed a hand atop of her dear friend's. Luke as of yet still had his innocence, his belief for is father intact, he had yet been told of Padme's relationship to him.

"Padme, will you reconsider and remain aboard. Luke and I can save the princess."

"Obi-Wan," she replied gently, "We've been over this."

"Then let the games begin," he began with a chuckle. She smiled as the stormtroopers came aboard and the tenderness was lost.

"Hey now. Easy! I'm not cargo you know," came the gruff voice of their smuggler.

"General Kenobi, we've been searching for you."

"Yes, but I was not looking for you."

The stormtrooper shook his head in confusion, this one was an odd one. A dark rasping sound met their ears before Obi-Wan looked upon his pupil for the first time in fifteen years. For the first time since their terrible duel on Mustafar. Obi-Wan prepared himself for the black vision he had seen on the HoloNet but nothing could have prepared him for coming face with his former apprentice.

"Ah yes, the last Jedi Master, and the greatest."

"Not the last... Darth," Obi-Wan wasn't sure how to address the man in front of him. The last time he had seen him, he had addressed him as he had the boy he had raised, but as Master Yoda had told him, that boy was gone, replaced by a darkness he couldn't comprehend. The boy he had raised, the man he had known would have never hurt Padme, and that was what had transpired when he had stepped onto the deadly world of Mustafar that had taken Padme's life, and his own soul, and had destroyed the last of the goodness in his brother.

"When I left you I was but a learner, now I am the master."

"You are only a master of evil, Darth." Vader nodded his head and the stormtroopers made themselves scarce. "Have you lured us here to destroy us all?" Obi-Wan mentally shuddered at the red eyes withing the mask, the black Sith machine his friend had become.

"No, I have brought you here to do what I cannot."

"You are second in command, what is it you cannot do."

"Save my daughter. My master had signed his execution and it is scheduled in such a manner that I cannot stop it. Grand Moff Tarkin has been wanting to execute her for sometime and this business with the Rebellion is exactly the excuse he needed. Why did you allow her to get involved in this?"

"Princess Leia is exactly like her parents before her. There's no stopping her once she makes up her mind."

"Where is she?" Luke piped up. Darth Vader's head turned toward the young voice, the voice that was just now getting over the worst of the voice changing that all males endured. He had sandy blonde hair, high cheekbones, and eyes the color of the lakes of Naboo. He was small in stature not much taller than his sister.

"She's in my room, son. Follow the first corridor to the right, take a left, you must make it there shortly. There will be a five minute delay in the changing of the guards so you must hurry. Obi-Wan, we will finish our business once Leia is safe."

"Ani."

"Padme, you must go. I cannot keep you safe."

"I'm not leaving you. I live up to my promises."

"You already have, my love, til death do us part." Padme raced after him, unable to leave him. If she were to abandon him to the dark side, to the Emperor just when the man she knew had agreed to try, to fight for their family, and he failed she would only have herself to blame. She looked back to Luke, and to Obi-Wan, but she knew her place was with her husband, she had already died, and if she were to die again it would be for her children and her husband. She held out her hand for his and walked away with him. Obi-Wan watched in shock as Anakin let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her. She laid her head on his lower chest as the walk in in sync.

"Sith can't love," Obi-Wan whispered to himself. Perhaps, Padme was right, he thought as he watched them. He didn't have much time, so he turned to the two of them. "Luke, Han, did you get Vader's direction."

"Yeah, old man, we did. Who is she to the Dark Lord?"

"His wife. I'm going to work on the tractor beam, if we don't get it deactivated then we aren't going anywhere."

"And Padme, we're just going to leave her here?"

"I believe she would put up quite a fight if we were to take her," Obi-Wan stated with a slight smile. He felt lighter than he had in a long time, felt as if Anakin wasn't as far gone as he had thought fir the last fifteen years. Quietly, he headed toward the tractor beam as the boys suited up in the stormtrooper's armor as they headed for Lord Vader's room.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Emperor's Wrath

The Emperor's Wrath

Obi-Wan, Han, Luke and Leia were onboard the Falcon in no time, as soon as they were safely in space Darth Vader pulled the alarm and instigated a search for the Rebels.

"I want them found, and I want them alive! You are to search until you have brought me those plans!" he bellowed. He sent them scurrying like robots assigned to a task. He returned to his wife's room.

"Oh, Anakin, do you think they will be okay?"

"They will be fine, Padme. Obi-Wan will get them as far away as he can. I had a tracking beacon put on the ship so I will know where they are."

"I'm worried about them."

"I know. So am I. I just want to protect them, I just want to protect you."

"Anakin, I want you to do the surgery. You will be completely recovered within a couple of months."

"Is this what you want?"

"I want my husband back."

"Just looking like Skywalker doesn't bring him back."

"You promised to try."

"Yes."

"Do you miss it?"

"I miss us."

"If you could do it differently, would you?"

"Absolutely."

"What would you do differently?

"For one, I would've left Obi-Wan on the Invisible Hand."

"Ani, no you wouldn't have. You were proud of that rescue and you know it."

"I guess I was, it seems like a different life now. Like a dream."

"We were in the middle of a war, Ani, it was far from perfect."

"But we were perfect. I was the Jedi posterboy, I had most of my appendages, I could enjoy being in the sun, swimming in the lakes of Naboo, and you loved me."

"Self-pity, do Dark Lords feel sorry for themselves? You know Obi-Wan told me that the Chosen One didn't have to be a Jedi."

"Obi-Wan."

"You don't still hate him do you?"

"I did. Ever since that day I always thought I would but now I'm putting our childrens' lives in his hands. I don't want to kill him."

"I've always liked him, Ani, he was your best friend. I would be very hurt if something happened to him."

"I-"

"Lord Vader, the Emperor is on comm."

"Thank you. You may go."

Padme hid and watched as her husband knelt on mechanical knees as he waited for the Emperor's holographic image to appear. Padme was shocked to see the Emperor's face looked like it had been dipped in acid. She would have to ask Anakin what had happened. She watched as he appeared and his voice sounded like a dragon-frog. "Lord Vader, I am most displeased."Padme's skin began to crawl. She watched as her husband remained silent. "Organa's death was instrumental in crushing the Rebellion you helped create."

"Of course, my master."

"You let them escape."

"We are tracking their ship as we speak."

"I want her dead."

"Is she such a threat?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"Of course not, my master."

"I should hope not. How did she escape?"

"An attempt from the Rebellion. It appears my old master was with them."

"You shall finally have your revenge upon the last of the Jedi, old friend."

"Yes, at last."

"We shall have peace, and all the local system shall fall into line. I am in the process of disbanding the Senate. The last remnants of the Old Republic are being swept away?"

"Is that wise?"

"You dare question me."

"No, my master."

"You may rise." As soon as Anakin was on his feet electricity shot from holographic fingers and Anakin was once again on his knees crumpled and shaking. Padme couldn't stand it, she watched as he shook his helmet, no, but she couldn't stop, she ran to him and put her arms around him.

"Who is this, Lord Vader?" the Emperor asked as Anakin struggled to rise.

"My Consort."

"What is her name?"

"Angel Lars."

"Keep her away. She bears an awfully close resemblance to a deceased Senator." And with that the holographic image disappeared.

"Anakin, are you okay?" Slowly, he rose to his feet and entered his chamber. He wasn't speaking, the last words he had spoken had been more of a wheeze and more of his natural voice. The lights on his chest were going haywire. He sat down in the middle of the room and the helmet came off.

"Padme."

"Ani, let me help you out of the suit."

"I'll be helpless."

"Let me check you over. Let me take care of you." He took a deep breathe and nodded as she helped out of the life sustaining suit. His body was pale but as muscular as ever, his eyes were filled with a maturity and grief that had never been there before. She watched as his knees below the leg were mechanical and his arm below the elbow. He was part machine, and his eyes filled with tears as she kissed his cheeks and touched her fingers to his lips. "I love you," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. Tears filled his eyes as well. For the first time he could feel her but could do nothing to touch her. He was frustrated, beyond a doubt frustrated and he cursed Obi-Wan and Palpatine too, this time, for making him like this. How long had the Emperor planned on doing this to him? Padme looked up at him and wiped the tears from his cheek. "I love you," she whispered again.

"I want you, Padme," he whispered since that was as high as his natural voice went. Her eyes changed as she moved away nodding in understanding.

"Why do you allow him to do that to you?"

"He's stronger than I am. After the duel on Mustafar some of my force potential disappeared. He believes it's because I feel guilty, not that because my appendages diminished. He's probably right, Master Yoda was one of the most powerful force users ever; Size matters not, he used to tell me."

"I always knew there was still good in you. There's no way the Emperor could diminsh it completely."

"Oh, Padme, I've done terrible things."

"It's in the past."

"It's who I am now, I am the Emperor's second in command."

"I have a plan."

"What is it?"

"You are having the surgery but the Emperor would suspect if you weren't here. We will prepare the suit and leave Captain Piett here in your suit. You trust him, do you not?"

"As much as I trust anyone, I suppose. It's a good plan, my love, but Piett he's a Captain. He doesn't know what it would take to be in command."

"Teach him."

"I will do my best."

"I will inform Obi-Wan of when and where to meet us."

"You would leave me helpless in front of him?"

"Trust me."


	17. Chapter 16: Training Piett

Training Piett

Darth Vader left word via comm that he would be in surgery for a week, they crew knew this happened sometimes after his meetings with the Emperor, and it terrified them. If the Emperor could hurt someone as powerful as Darth Vader, just how powerful was he? Meanwhile he was constructing a second suit and making repairs to the first. All he needed was a suit with a breathing asparagus and he would travel to Kamino. He opted for one in white, since black was associated with Darth Vader and he didn't need any of the Emperor's spies reporting back that Darth Vader had been seen on Kamino. He would speak in his own voice, as low as it was, see with his own eyes, be rid of all the sensory input that made him feel more like a machine than a man. They were in a training room, all of Vader's men were loyal to him first and the Emperor second. That was going to come in handy. Vader's Fist would held him seize control of the Emperor, and from there Anakin/Vader wasn't sure what he would do. He knew that Padme wanted democracy restored, but he wasn't sure what he wanted. Every since Padme stepped back into his life, he felt more like Anakin and less like Vader, but he wasn't sure he liked it. Anakin had questioned everything, Vader had absolute power...He remembered something his mother had once said. Absolute power absolutely corrupts. He hadn't understood it at the time. He had just wanted the power to free his mother and himself. Now he understood. Who would have thought a little slave boy from Tatooine would come so far. He looked at his wife as she brought him his old Jedi cloak, the one he had had on Mustafar. Since he had taken it off prior to his battle with Kenobi it was in good shape, the stormtroopers had found it and wrapped him in it prior to putting his body in a capsule until he could be brought to the medics. There he was, his face out in the open above the nose, his pale face and eyes taking in his surroundings, he liked horrible, he looked sick. His nose and mouth were attached to a breathing asparagus connected to his chest. Long white gloves adorned his metal arms and high boots adorned his feet keeping his metal appendages away from the naked eye. He felt more like himself, more like the man he had once beet.

"Milord?" he heard Piett question, as he finished the last of the repairs on the original suit.

"Yes, Piett?" he whispered.

"I don't know if I can do this. If I can wear the suit, I'm not as tall as you are, sir."

"The suit will give you the height required to be imposing. You must be able to move around smoothly, Piett. Darth Vader's does not trip. And if you mess up just send everyone away, that would not be out of character.

"What about the Emperor, milord?"

"If should be a couple of weeks, since he had damaged the suit that he would expect a few weeks for me to gather my bearings."

"And after that?" Piett croaked.

"You will bow, and do not rise until he orders it."

"Surely, he will sense the difference."

"Try to avoid him. Have a ysalamir put in here. He will not be able to attack you as long as that's in place."

"What does it do?"

"It creates a bubble in which no use of the force is allowed."

"Very good, sire."

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, milord."

"Padme?"

"Come on Piett, I'll help you." He was shaking, Padme realized.

"I don't know if there's anything my husband or I can ever do to repay you."

"Don't ask this of me again." She smiled softly and he found himself gathering courage, for Lord Vader and his wife, he would do this. No wonder Lord Vader was challenging the Emperor's word, Lady Vader had a smile that made ever the most cowardly of men believe they could conquer the galaxy. And he now knew, Lord Vader could love, and if Lord Vader could love, there was hope for them all. He nodded to his wife, knowing that his voice would not carry as she had him pronounce the first of many of Darth Vader's threats.

"Don't fail me again, Admiral."

"Don't f-f-f-fail me a-a-again, A-A-Admir-a-a-al."

"No, you must have more confidence, Piett."

"He's right, Firmus, you are now Darth Vader, you are second in command, you answer only to the Emperor, men shake at the sight of you. Woman cower at your very name, and babes weep in fear, you are the stuff of nightmares." Vader turned to her and quirked and eyebrow, that he didn't have, at her. He had just been following orders, and if sentinents feared him, he wasn't to blame.

"Try another one," Anakin/Vader said, "And this time walk around a bit, you need to get the feel for the movements."

Padme cleared her voice, "Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them."

"Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them?" Piett shook his fist and then move to turn around but his foot got caught on the cape and he would have hit the floor except Vader grabbed him and held him steady.

"You still think this is a good idea, my love?"

"It will work, it has to."

"We still have to teach him how to hold a lightsaber since he won't be able to use the Force. I have equipped the boots with gravity defying boots to make it appear, but no matter what I do he has to deliver these lines with confidence."

"Ani, this is just the first day, give him time."

"Time is something we don't have a lot of."

"Try this one," Padme continued. "Anakin, why don't you upload them into his datapad." Anakin nodded and did so. "Impressive... most impressive."

"Impressive...most impressive."

"See, he's getting it."

"That one isn't threating."

"Oh, well let's try this one, Commander, tear this ship apart until you've found those plans! And bring me the passengers, I want them alive!"

"C-c-c-commander, tear this ship apart until you've found those plans! And bring me the p-p-p-passangers, I want them a-a-alive."

"That's better, but you are still stuttering. I know, Ani, for two weeks we could have him recruiting officers, don't you do that sometimes."

"Yes, but I detest it."

"Well, he won't have to be so threatening. He can use a lot of your hand guestures whenever he's not giving speeches, and just nod when they talk to him."

"The idea does have merit."

Anakin took the datapad back and loaded a speech in it. "The Emperor sends his praise in holding this city against the Rebellion. The Rebels swim against a current that will overwhelm them. But there is still much to be done. The Rebellion is still a threat that only those loyal to the Empire can help defeat. Even now the Rebellion plots to undermine the law and order we have established. They seek to subvert the populace with violence and deceit. They are to be hunted. They will know no rest. Those loyal to the Empire and the Emperor are called upon to remove this blight. Those willing to take on this mutinous mob should speak to me directly. If you are of use, we will assign you a mission. The future of this conflict lies with you."

"That's a good speech, Ani."

"It's a practiced speech."

"Again. We are leaving in three days whether you are prepared or not."

"Yes, milord."


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Rebel Base

Rebel Base

"Princess Leia, when we heard the rumors we feared the worst," Mon Mothma stated taking Leia's hand in hers, after she landed on Hoth.

"I'm here, I'm okay. Did Abso Bar Binks make it?"

"I'm afraid not, your highness."

"With me is Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo."

"Pleased to meet you. You say you rescued her?"

"Master Kenobi, It's good to see you again, and to finally meet Luke. I am a Jedi. Name is Galen, but you can call me Starkiller. With me is General Kota, also a Jedi, and Ferus Olin, a Jedi Padawan of the old order, and my pilot and good friend, Juno Eclipse.

"The Emperor wants me to be one of his spies," Ferus Olin announced, "I think I can make this work. While I feed him information on some of our smaller operations, I will find out what he's doing, I will have personal contact with the Emperor."

"Is that wise?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The bounty on Master Yoda is 30,000 credits by order of the Emperor himself, and is valid only for a living subject. The bounty on your head Master Kenobi was posted from Darth Vader and is at a 50,000 credits."

"Of course."

A man approached them then looking intently at Luke. "You say you are Luke Skywalker, your father was a General in the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker?"

Obi-Wan looked at him closely but couldn't recall ever meeting the man, Anakin had had a lot of men under him, not just the clones, and as he had only come aboard Anakin's ship to discuss strategy he wouldn't have paid much attention to a group of pilots, besides Obi-Wan always preferred the ground assaults to the space attacks.

"Yes, my father was Anakin Skywalker. My uncle told me that he was just a space navigator."

"No kidding! Name's Garven Dreis, but you can call me Boss, your father always did. Let's hope that your father's talent wasn't wasted. I met your father once when I was just a boy. He was a great pilot. You'll do all right. If you've got half of your father's skill, you'll do better than all right. What happened to the Hero With No Fear?"

"He was taken prisoner by the Emperor," Obi-Wan stated softly.

"The we have to rescue him, Ben. I thought he was dead."

"So did I," Obi-Wan stated, pondering what he had said, it was true, from a certain point of view, just as what he had told Luke, that they died tragically.

"I thought you said that they died tragically."

"While we were aboard Darth Vader's ship I found evidence that your father may still be alive."

"Why didn't you say anything, we have to go back. We have to save him!"

"I believe that's what Padme's doing, Luke, your path falls along a different path." Garven Dreis excused himself and began talking shop with the pilot Han Solo. Leia drew attention to her when Artoo wheeled in beeping.

"We have the schematics for the Death Star, our technicians are analyzing the data to find a weakness, however unlikely so we can bring this technological terror to its knees."

"The Separatists developed many prototypes during the war," Obi-Wan commented. Starkiller smiled as Proxy came running over.

"Master, they've found a weakness. It's in the core. They say that only one person could have done that."

"Who?" Proxy shifted his image into that of Anakin Skywalker.

"General Anakin Skywalker, he was a legendary pilot. Last Mission: Landed the Invisible Hand, a ship that was meant to be docked, not landed. He rescued General Kenobi and Chancellor Palpatine."

"Too bad," Leia remarked. "He should have left him on that ship. Proxy shifted back.

"It will still be a couple of months before Anakin will be rescued," his comm went off, "I'm sorry I have to take this."

"Mon, I met my mother, my real mother," Leia whispered quietly, she watched as Mon's eyes widened."Did you know her?"

"Your highness that's something you should speak with Bail about."

"Her name was Padme Amidala." Mon chewed on her lower lip.

"You know too much already. It was said that she was killed during the Jedi Rebellion, that Jedi killed her."

"My father said she fell in love with a Jedi, that my father was a Jedi."

"I don't know much about that, Bail was much closer to Padme than I was, although there were rumors."

"What kind of rumors?

"That she was seeing a younger man. There were reports of a younger man sneaking out of her apartment in the morning, that she was having an affair. Although if you knew her she was so rational, besides I never listened to rumors."

"Thank you, Mon, do you think that Luke could fly the ship into the Death Star and destroy it?"

"I'll see that some of our pilots test his skills, and I'll let you know, Leia."


	19. Chapter 18: Return to Kamino

Returning to Kamino

Stealthily, Anakin and Padme slipped aboard one of the smaller cruise ships that were aboard the Executor. They were leaving Piett in charge for now. Padme had full confidence in him even if her husband did not. The change in Anakin every since the Emperor had attacked him was remarkable, he seemed so much like the man she had married even if he kept telling her he wasn't, yet she wasn't fool enough to believe the dark side would give up quite so easily, there may be a battle ahead, but her love, their love would win, love always won.

They headed for Kamino, and he asked her questions about Luke and Leia, both of whom he had spent more time around than she had, even though she had so recently been brought back from the dead, they laid on a bunker, while Anakin had the coordinates set and were going through lightspeed. His mechanical hand brushed back part of her hair. "Tell me about when they were born," he requested, looking at her tenderly.

"Luke came first, I wasn't even aware I was having twins," she began looking at him, looking into his eyes, those eyes that were the same color as the lakes of Naboo. "He was quiet even then. But when Leia was born, she screamed, and I knew instantly that she would take after you. She had just a bit of dark hair as Luke had a bit of blonde hair, both their eyes were the newborn color of babes," she smiled as she told him.

"I didn't destroy you?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No, Anakin, you didn't kill me. I don't know what happened, one moment I was telling Obi-Wan that there was still good in you, trying to hand him the japor snippet and explain it to him, for he didn't believe, I could see it in his eyes, and the next moment, I felt this cold darkness settle upon me, and then I felt so weak, and then Obi-Wan was crying, and there was your mother and Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and I was safe."

"You don't think it was me?"

She shook her head, "No. You could never harm me. You were so shocked by what you had done, don't you remember? I was angry and hurt and so were you."

"I don't. All I know is what Palpatine told me, that in my anger I killed you."

"Ani-"

"We're coming out of hyperspace."

"Are you ready?"

Anakin heard the voice, of the dark side, it was angry at him for slipping back into the light, it whispered to him of doubt and distrust. It fed on his fears of seeing Obi-Wan again, it spoke to him that there was more between Obi-Wan and his wife then they were letting him believe. He shook his head violently, that was what got him into trouble last time, he wasn't making the same mistakes again. He loved his wife. He loved his children. Perhaps, they aren't your children, but Obi-Wan's, whispered the voice. He thought of Naboo and the voice seemed to quiet for the moment, but he knew the dark side wasn't giving up. He needed Obi-Wan, more than he needed Padme, more than he needed his children. He couldn't be around them while the darkness still clouded his heart. Once he completed the surgery, he was going to find Obi-Wan and Yoda and he was going to train harder than he had ever trained before, he was going to drive the darkness away and only then would he return to his beloved. Only then could he finally become the Chosen One and bring balance to the Force. Only then would he be able to defeat the Emperor. Piett would not be able to keep up the farce indefinatly, they would have to come up with a new plan. A small smile played on his lips, perhaps he would take a page from Palpatine's book and get himself captured, it would be the only way to keep the Emperor off his back until he was ready.


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Ahsoka Tano

Ahsoka Tano

Former Padawan Ahsoka Tano was in an asylum on Shili. She had been carried here after her last mission on Christophsis, she had faced Count Dooku, alone, against her master's orders, for he had been on a much needed vacation. She had lost and although she had accepted her death, it would have been a kinder fate than the one he offered her. He stuck a needle into her arm, and injected force suppressants in her system, as she was fitted into force cuffs, he brought her to her home world of Shili, and he had told her Chancellor Palpatine's plan, laughing as he did so. She couldn't believe it. Her master would never turn to the dark side, why would he? He was the Jedi's beloved Chosen One, he was loved and admired by so many. Skyguy's former master, Master Kenobi, was one of his dearest friends, and he was the Jedi personified , and Skyguy admired him above all. He was good friends with Senator Amidala, who was one of the warmest most sincere women Ahsoka had ever met, with friends like that there was no way he would turn to the dark side, even if Chancellor Palpatine was the Dark Lord, Skyguy was compassionate and good. She had to believe that. She had been here stuck in a room with a ysalamiri to prevent her from accessing the force but she still kept up with her exercises. At times she thought she was going mad, she had no idea how long had past. She wondering if the Republic still stood, of what had become of her friends, of the Jedi, and even what had become of Count Dooku. She was allowed out into the rec room for arts and crafts and to exercise, and she made the most of it. Most of the time she was kept drugged, and felt groggy, but she held on to hope, hope in Skyguy, and hope that she would be freed. She curled up in her cot and let herself go, she let herself cry as she touched the old, worn, Jedi braid, and suddenly the door opened.

"I'm Luke Skywalker, and I'm here to rescue you." Ahsoka laughed, she was seeing and hearing things now. This wasn't real. She wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head. She squinted and looked at him. He was short, young, barely fifteen years old, if she had to guess. He had sandy blonde hair that was slowly darkening, and eyes like the lakes of Naboo. Only Skyguy had eyes like that. She really was crazy. She could have sworn she had imagined that Skyguy had a child, a son, and he was here rescuing her. Sounded like something Skyguy would do. "Whose Skyguy?" he asked. Had she said that aloud.

"If you really are here then get the ysalamiri out of here, get it away from me," she stated dully, not expecting the figment of her imagination to comply. She was shocked when it moved and a wave of emotions flew at her. He was force sensitive, he had a similar force signature to Skyguy and he was untrained. She felt pain and emptiness, as if the Force was somehow dark. What had Palpatine done?She looked up at him. "You know who I am?"

"Yes, you are Ashoka Tano, of the Old Order."

"Am I mad?" she asked softly.

"I'm not sure, milady, but we must get you out of here. How long have you been here?"

"I don't know, I'm not rightly sure. Count Dooku brought me here."

"Who?"

"You don't know of Count Dooku, he's a Sith love, the leader of the C.I.S."

"What's the C.I.S?"

"If you are here to rescue me, then let's get to it."

"Follow me." Ahsoka nodded as she opened the other doors and freed all the patients. Luke shook his head and grabbed her hand.

"We must hurry. The Rebellion needs you."

"I will do what I can.

"What happened to your father."

"Ben says he's a prisoner of the Emperor and that you can help save him."

"I will do whatever I can, Luke," she stated, squeezing his hand, "And someone should teach you about the Force."


	21. Chapter 20: Surgery

Surgery

Seeing Obi-Wan was different than wanting to see him. He looked at Obi-Wan, and really saw him. The last time , he had just wanted the old man to save his daughter, he had been receiving sensory input he wasn't seeing with his own eyes and even though his breathing asparagus did the breathing for him he could see his former mentor. Obi-Wan was old, and his eyes, they seemed older than the universe itself, and sadder than the passage of time. Yet, he was filled with that old familiar hate. He saw Kenobi standing there on the platform and memories came rushing back to him.

_You have done well, Anakin. It will not be long before the Council recognizes your talents as I have. _

_I have been arrogant, I've disappointed you. I haven't honored your teachings._

_You are strong and wise, you have become a greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be. Goodbye, Old Friend._

_I have failed you, Anakin. I have failed you._

_Obi-Wan._

_It was said you would bring balance to the force, not destroy it. That you would destroy the Sith not join them. You were my brother, Anakin, I loved you._

_I HATE YOU!_

All those emotions rushed to the forefront as he in a moment of rage and betrayal, reached into the force. "Kenobi," he sputtered and drew out his arm and began choking him.

"Anakin, Ani, no. Let him go." He couldn't see her, he couldn't see anything but red. Kenobi, he had taken his wife and children from him, and now, he had come to play up to Padme, like he cared. On the banks of Mustafar, before he had torn his heart out, he had called out to him, asked him for help, and he had abandoned him, left him on the banks of Mustafar for the Emperor to torture. Padme reached out and put her hands on either side of his face. And he felt her soft skin, he could smell her hair, it smelled like the flowers from Naboo, she smelled of some Nubian perfume. He felt the dark side recede as he looked at her and he lowered his hand, dropping Kenobi to the floor. Kenobi rubbed her throat for a moment as he came forward slowly.

"Have you decided to kill me, Anakin?"

"I haven't decided yet, The twins need you."

"And is that the only reason I still live?"

Anakin had slipped, he'd stumbled, and the dark side had gained control of him once again. He pulled Padme into his embrace and lowered his lips to her ear. "Thank you. I'm sorry, Padme."

"We knew this would be difficult for you. Come along, we've wasted enough time." He was shocked when she still put her hand into his and walked along the corridors. Memories of the past clouded his vision. He was standing there with his first dark apprentice.

_You're training made me strong enough to escape you, not obey you._

_Yet here you are. My most deadly creation._

_You lie! You never wanted this. You can't have. Once Juno has been rescued, your facility will be destroyed. You with it, if there's any justice._

_There is no justice. Only power._

He had thought he had been so right. Anakin Skywalker had believed in justice, Darth Vader didn't, there was nothing but power...until Padme. She had brought Anakin back from the dead. He was led to meet the Doctor.

"Anakin Skywalker, if you will please follow me?"

"Yes, of course. My wife will accompany me."

"We seek to make you comfortable." She began explaining how they would first fix his internal organs and then once he was healed regrow him limbs. The first step was to get him breathing normally, on his own. The took off the asparagus and hooked him up to one of their own, and began to undress him, seeing the mechanical limbs. They put him under, and the last thing he saw was Padme's smile.

Four hours later the surgery was concluded. Dr. Nightshade sat down with Obi-Wan and Padme. "I am really disturbed at what we found."

"What is it, will he not breathe on his own?"

"He will, that's not what disturbs me, Mrs. Skywalker. Your husband is healthy, his organs would have repaired themselves long ago, but there was poison injected in his lungs. Looks like it was fed to him intravenously. It was blocking the organs from getting the nutrients to repair itself. He should have been breathing on his own fifteen years ago. I don't know who did this to your husband..."

"The Emperor..." Padme whispered tears filling her eyes. "Poor Ani."

"He will be better much sooner than expected, all we had to do was run a detoxification, and he should be find, Mrs. Skywalker. We will have to keep him on a liquid diet, but I would like to see him on solid food in three weeks. It will take some time for his organs to breathe again, for lack of a better word."

Padme stood up and hugged the woman. "I'm so sorry, I'm just so happy he's okay."

"Oh, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered. "If you could excuse us for a moment, Doctor."

"Yes, of course."

"Padme, it's my fault."

"What is? Did you poison him?"

"No. When Anakin choked me, I saw it again. The day that's been haunting me for fifteen years."

"I have a feeling that day has been haunting him as well."

"He called out to me, Padme, and I was so hurt, so consumed with my own pain, with what he had done that I didn't hear him, I didn't help him. I abandoned him. I left him to the Emperor."

"He should be in recovery. Obi-Wan, you are so selfless, sometimes, you need to think about yourself, you need to care for yourself. Where are the twins?"

"Luke has been send on a mission to rescue a Jedi, and Leia is recruiting members for the Rebellion."

"Have you told them?"

"No."

"Anakin won't lie to them. He's going to tell them. And they should know, to prevent them from following that legacy."

"I am but a friend."

"You are more than that," she squeezed his hand and turned to find Anakin. She sat there not holding his mechanical hand, but stroking his chest and watching the rise and fall of the chest, nothing aiding his breathing. There were nurses round the clock, ready to help should he need it. Two hours later, he opened those blue eyes of hers and smiled.

"Hey," he stated sleepily, almost dreamily.

"Welcome back, stranger," she drawled slowly, lost in his eyes once again.

"I dreamed that we were on Naboo with Luke and Leia, we were in the Lake Country and they grew up with us."

"That would have been nice."

"Yeah, Palpatine was gone. Dead."

"It will happen, Ani."

"And Mom was there, she was telling them embarrassing stories of when I was a child. I still miss her, Padme."

"I know, Ani." He scooted over carefully and she climbed up to lay beside him.

"It's been a long time since we've just laid like this, no war, no politics, nothing to do, nowhere to go."

He leaned down and kissed her lips softly, and then they heard someone clearing their voice. "Sorry, Master," he stated and Anakin blushed before his eyes froze, and hardened like crystals. Obi-Wan entered with his head down.

"I came to see how you were feeling."

"Fine, no thanks to you." Obi-Wan hung his head as he moved slowly to a chair. "We need to talk, Anakin. We can't take you into the heart of the Rebellion, which is where Luke and Leia are."

"I will find them myself," his voice was low, but much stronger already.

"Did you tell him?" Obi-Wan asked Padme. Anakin struggled to sit up, pushing off the feeling of weakness to glare at his fomer mentor.

"How could you have betrayed me?" he shot out as the room begin to shake.

"Betray you?" Padme asked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The two of you were carrying on behind my back. You are always too close to the ones you love."

"Ani, no, never. I love you, only you. Is that what you thought?" she thought back to his words. 'You will not take her from me.' "Oh, Anakin, how could you even think that."Suddenly, Anakin passed out., his head falling back to the pillow.

"Padme, are you sure you are safe?"

"Of course. He was shocked on Mustafar."

"Shocked? He killed you."

"No, he didn't. He thought he did too. It wasn't Anakin."

"Then who was it?"

"I don't know, all I could feel was cold, death."

"The Sith. Anakin has joined the Sith."

"I know that, but I'm telling you it wasn't Anakin."

"Then Sidious..." Obi-Wan trailed off his thoughts stringing together. Sidious wouldn't have wanted Padme alive, she was the one piece of Anakin that would always remain good and true, he got rid of her, and Anakin fell in line. Anakin was going to kill him.


	22. Chapter TwentyOne Leia and her Friends

Leia's friends

Alderaan had been destroyed. The news was all over the HoloNet. The Emperor's pet project, the Death Star had turned Alderaan into a pile of dust and space novas. She was thankfully however that with the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and oddly enough Darth Vader, she had been able to save most of the population. They were safe. Her sister, through adoption, Winter Organa, and Sabe were waiting for her on Teris. She was escorted by pilot Han Solo to the world of Teris. It was ironic that those that she had saved, were saved because Teris still stood. Teris who had been bombed in the last great war, had been bombed by the Sith had saved Alderaans from the Sith.

"Your highness, this is my last mission with you. I must have my payment so that I can return."

"If money is what you love then that will be your reward."

"Look, I ain't in this for your revolution and I'm not in it for you, Princess, I expect to be well paid. I'm in it for the money.

"Look around the Galaxy, Solo, there is more to this than money. Some of these people but their hopes and dreams in our hands, put the lives of their families on the line, so that we can make a better tomorrow. Just where would we be if we had allowed the Emperor complete and total reign, for him to go unopposed."

"Perhaps the Jedi would still be alive," he mumbled as he landed and she hugged her friends tightly.

"Winter, I was so worried. I'm so glad you are here. Where's Father?"

"Giving speeches, what else?" Leia laughed with her.

"Do you know that I met my real mother?"

"That's impossible," Sabe stated. Leia narrowed her eyes.

"You knew my mother."

"I did. And your father. One of the few who knew of their marriage."

"It was kept secret?" Leia asked her leading her aboard. "My father was a Jedi."

"Not just a Jedi, the Jedi."

"What do you mean, Sabe?"

"He was the Jedi's Chosen One, he was all over the HoloNews. Had your mother worried sick. There were always reports of his death, and then there he would be, we'd hear Artoo whistling beside him, hear his laughter see his eyes searching for her, and I'd disappear, giving them some privacy. They were in love, Leia. It's so tragic, the way it happened."

"The way what happened."

"He started spending more and more time around the Emperor, he was appointed some kind of position of power, I forget now, all I know is I got this creepy feeling when I saw them together," she trailed off before smiling. "But you say, Padme's alive."

"Yes," Leia stated softly, thinking about what she had said. The only person, if he could be called that, that was close to the Emperor was Darth Vader. Had Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader?

_Darth Vader brought me back._

_He's trapped in Darth Vader's world._

_I knew your father, and I promised your mother to keep you safe._

_He is a slave of the Emperor._

Who else was a slave of the Emperor besides Darth Vader? Anakin Skywalker had become Darth Vader, she was sure of it. And she could feel that right now something huge was happening on Kamino. She felt it in her bones.


	23. Chapter 22: To Breathe Again

Breathing Again

Four hours later, Anakin awoke to see tears dripping down his wife's chest. He felt better than he had in a long time. His nose twitched and he sneezed.

"Bless you," Padme whispered, before his eyes even opened. She stared at the even breathing and she knew she was going to have to tell him, tell him what the Emperor had done to him. Slowly, his eyes opened and once again they were the color of the lakes of Naboo. The color of his soul, blue, magnetic blue, the blue of the skies and the lakes, the blue that calmed her and the color of happiness. He reached up and touched her face, she leaned into his mechanical hand and kissed the fingers.

"Padme," he whispered, his voice stronger. "Where's Obi-Wan?"

"I'll go get him."

"No need," they heard a voice say, "I'm never more than a thought away."

"Padme, can you give us a moment," he asked squeezing her fingers briefly.

"Well, Anakin, let's have it, what do you want from me?"

"I need your help," he whispered again.

"What do you need," he asked softly, his own voice horse from the emotion. "I've waited a long time to hear those words."

"I'm lost, Obi-Wan. I'm afraid of being around Padme and the twins. The Dark Side whispers to me."

"And I'm afraid of tearing you away from her. I think, Anakin, that she's going to save you."

"Are there any surviving Jedi?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Where's Yoda?"

"I won't tell you that."

"He chose me, Obi-Wan."

"What happened to the Jedi wasn't chance. It happened as a result of the Jedi, as a result of Palpatine, as a result of my actions, of Master Yoda's. Of the Clones. The Senate. We all played a part in the destruction. No one person is responsible unless you count Palpatine."

"Then why was I the only one who lost everything?"

"It wasn't."

"Palpatine chose ME!"

"Because you were the best of us. You were the Chosen One, the White Knight, the Golden Jedi, the Legendary Pilot, you were the strongest, had the most force potential, and the biggest heart. He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall."

"And he was right. I was so confused, I didn't know which was to turn. I chose wrong."

"And I will never forgive myself for leaving."

"It's not your fault."

"Anakin, there is something I must tell you. I don't know what happened to you after our...after Mustafar," Obi-Wan's voice cracked, he hated thinking of it, the darkest day of his life. "The Emperor's been keeping you sick. He's been poisoning your organs, keeping them from repairing themselves."

"Keeping me weaker than him. He wants to keep me his slave," Anakin stated and his eyes flashed yellow for a moment, and Obi-Wan shuddered until they turned back.

"The Rebellion needs to attack the Death Star."

"I cannot allow that. My men are on the Death Star. My Star Destroyer is docked on the Death Star. Those men trust me, they respect me. Their families trust me to keep them safe." Obi-Wan stared at the man in front of him for a moment. Yes, he may have joined the Dark Side, but he never intentionally put the lives of his men in danger. Those loyal to him would always have his loyalty. He shook his head in amazement.

"The Death Star is responsible for the destruction of Alderaan."

"I know," Anakin rubbed his bald head, an old gesture he hadn't utilized since being put in the suit. "But these are my men. I don't care for that technological terror any more than you do. Emperor Palpatine believes I'm still aboard the Death Star. Captain Piett is aboard the Death Star impersonating me, and I won't put him in any more danger than I must. I will resume my post. I am not a deserter."

"Alright, so move your ship, Anakin. This could be a major victory for the Rebellion."

"And I need the location for the Rebel base."

"Luke and Leia are at the Rebel Base. Would you storm in there and take them prisoner. Luke has been given the mission to destroy the Death Star."

"Alright. Let me take care of some things and then I'll crash my TIE fighter on the planet Vjun."

"What about the Emperor?"

"He rules from Imperial Center. He's guarded well in the Imperial Palace, the only way he would leave is with a army and to oversee construction if it were delayed. He will send his spies to search for me."

"Vjun? Isn't that where Master Yoda was held captured."

"You are correct. The planet is my personal quarters."

"You have a planet for quarters?"

"It's an acidic planet, it's uninhabited and I have modified the security systems myself. You won't get in unless I want you in," he boasted.

"I see. We will continue this conversation when you are better rested."

"Obi-Wan, wait. I do need your help. I want you to train me, to help me overcome the darkness."

"I want to restore our friendship. I will help you, Anakin, but I want you to help me understand, deal?"

"Deal." And with that Obi-Wan walked out the door and Anakin reached his mechanical feet toward the floor and stood up. He walked around the room, with just a hospital sheet on. What was he going to do, he felt as if he was in turmoil, at war with himself, as if the part of him that was trying to return to the light was at war with the part of him that was still hearing the sly whispers from the dark side, that still felt the dark power seeping into his veins. He was healing much faster than they had expected, and would be having the regrowth surgery in two days then as soon as he healed he could replace Piett and get back into the horror suit.


	24. Chapter TwentyThree: Flesh and Blood

Flesh and Blood

The next surgery was complete and he was immersed in a bacca tank for three weeks. When he was taken out he was so cold so tired, that it took two more days before he could feel. Before he awoke. He opened his blue eyes to a white hospital room. He reached out with the force to open the door, and it opened easily. He struggled to sit up, he had never been a patient patient. He swung his legs over to the side and looked down. There, just below the knees where his shins, his shins, his ankles, his feet. True they were the same pale color as the rest of his body. It was new skin. He wiggled his toes in surprise. He pushed his feet down to touch the cool floor, he stood up and would have fallen down if not for Obi-Wan's strong arms.

"You never were a good patient," the old man said softly. Anakin's cheeks flooded with embarrassment as he ran his hand over his bald head, or what he assumed was a bald head, he felt hair on top of it. Very short hair, hair shorter than even in his younger padawan days, shorter than when he was a Commander in the Republic Army. He looked at Obi-Wan in awe. "You may notice that your face isn't as clean shaven as always. If you want we can retrieve the items to rectify the issue," he stated pulling Anakin into a chair. "You must first get used to your new body."

"Thank you, Master," came the sheepish reply and Obi-Wan's heart turned over, was being squeezed as tears filled his eyes. How long had it been since Anakin had called him master?

_This is the end for you, my master._

No, that hadn't been Anakin, but Darth Vader.

_You owe me for this one, Master, and not for saving your life for the tenth time._

_Ninth. That buisness on Cata Nomeida doesn't count. _ A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "It was nothing, Anakin. Just trying to save the Doctors from having to deal with you."

"Tell me about Luke," he requested.

"Luke?"

"I only saw him for a moment, Obi-Wan, and I was more concerned with getting Leia safe."

"Named Luke Anakin Skywalker, I took him to the Lars a few days after their birth. I gave him to Owen and Beru Lars to keep him safe from the Empire. He was a sunny child. Bright blue eyes, moppy blonde hair, he reminded me of you so. I watched over him from a distance. He loved flying, and was quite adept in fixing the watervapors. A couple of years ago, he went exploring and He along with his friend, were trapped by a Krayt dragon. I heard his cry through the Force and I rescued him. I wanted to give him a lightsaber then, to protect himself but Owen wouldn't allow it. Afraid him would follow after me the way you did."

"Where is he?"

"With the Rebellion. He's to be the pilot to take out the Death Star." Anakin nodded.

"I don't hate you, Obi-Wan. I did for years, I always thought I would ever since that day." Obi-Wan nodded, he had too. Anakin lowered his sheilds and let him into his mind, trying to explain with memories what he couldn't with words.

_Obi-Wan was screaming, the pain was exscruitating. His flesh was burning, he could smell it. He screamed as a droid began hacking on his arm. He was hit with a labor pain at the same time and he began screaming and he would have cried if he'd had tear ducts left. He could feel Padme, he couldn't hear her, but he could feel her. They pricked and protted him, and stuck a mechanical arm on his left arm. He couldn't see the Emperor, he could hear his laugh but he couldn't see anything. He felt like he was on fire. He felt agony, he had never felt agony like this before as the prosthetic legs were put on. He bulked against the table again as he felt the combined agony of childbirth and the surgery he was going through. No anesthesia. None. He felt weak as he saw the red visor come down and close him in. The table was then righted and he barely registered the satonic smile on the Emperor's face as his new voice asked the only question that mattered._

'_Where's Padme, is she alright?'_

'_I'm afraid, Lord Vader, that in your anger you killed her.' Obi-Wan felt like his soul had been ripped in two. _

_'No, it's not possible. I felt her. She was alive.' And then he accepted it. He had killed the best part of himself. 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'_ _The Emperor looked at him and cackled as he explained his assignment to hunt down and exterminate what was left of the Jedi. It was the Jedi who had done this to him. They had killed Padme, by forcing them to remain secret, hidden, and they would pay, every last one of them. And expecially Kenobi. He looked out at the Emperor's pet project and turned at the Emperor's beckening to meet Grand Moff Tarkin._

_'I can see we are to become great friends," the man said but Obi-Wan just nodded, thinking of the Jedi and Padme. He had to be sure. He just had to. He found her resting place a week later and put her in suspended animation. _

_'Until we can be together,' he whispered agony searing his soul, as he gave himself completely to the dark side, never looking back._

"Oh, Anakin," he breathed as the memory receeded. Tears were flowing freely down Obi-Wan's cheek, he couldn't hold pain like that inside. "I'm so sorry."

"I believed him. He told me that it was the only way to save her. I couldn't live without her." He turned as she walked in.

"Ani," she whispered. "Obi-Wan, are you alright."

"Just fine, Senator." Anakin again stood, and bowed as she entered the room.

"Milady," he stated with a small smile.

"Should you be standing yet?" she asked.

"We must get back, we can't leave Piett in trouble."

"But you are still so weak. Please give it a week."

"Absolutly not. Two days."

"Fine." He took a step carefully, then another, and then he reached out his hand to touch her face, to touch her lips. And tears filled his eyes. He pulled her to him and leaned down to put his face in her hair. She still smelled the same. He pulled back and tilter her face up, he pressed his lips to hers gently, and was awhirl with the could feel again.

"Would you care to join me for dinner. You too, Master? I'm famished, I haven't had real food in fifteen years."

Obi-Wan inclined his head and went to join the Sith Lord.

Anakin sat down and ordered his food. " I'll take the Calamaria Surprise, followed by the Luilris mushroom pie and a glass of your finest Corellian ale."

Obi-Wan smiled as he ordered, "Bantha patties, and a few glasses of your Corellian Ale."

" Fried Nerf steak, and garto eggs. With a glass of hot chocolate, please."

"Coming right up," the heard the droid calling their orders loudly.

"Where is the Rebellion?"

"I can't tell you that."

"For Force sake, I had a tracking beacon put on that ship."

"Where is it?"

"On my starship. I won't allow the Emperor to get his hands on the twins. Do they know about each other," he asked as he drink arrived.

"Leia does," Padme stated with a smile. "She's just like you, Anakin."

"Not sure if that's a good thing," he mummered. "I want you on Vjun, Obi-Wan, you are to take my wife there until I can be captured. Let Luke do it," he stated after a moment. "After his heroic battle send him to Vjun to capture me. Hold me prisoner in Bast Castle."

"Who knows about it?"

"Just Captain Piett, and the Emperor. There are no inhabitants. The Emperor doesn't leave Imperial Center, and even if he did, I ran the security on the place myself, no one can get in unless I want."

"And no one can leave."

"I've never had a problem with intruders."

"I don't imagine you have," Obi-Wan replied, he didn't imagine there were many beings in the galaxy who were brave enough to break into Darth Vader's Palace.


	25. Chapter 24: Anakin's Fear

Anakin's Fear

The meal was wonderful, Anakin licked the last of it off his lips. And the facility caught fire, he smelled smoke and he began doing what Anakin Skywalker was born to do he began rescuing people, Until he saw the huge flames. And he was frozen. The nurse in his arms scrambled to the exit but Anakin was frozen in fear, the memories of Mustafar coming up to engulf him. Obi-Wan saw him freeze and he saw the fear in Anakin's eyes, fear he hadn't seen since Anakin was a child. Anakin was much taller than he was, but with the help of the Force he pushed him out the door. Padme thew her arms around him, but he didn't respond.

"Ani," she whispered but all that happened was he sank to his knees and continued staring. Obi-Wan shook him.

"Anakin, snap out of this. Everything's fine." Suddenly, he blinked rapidly and looked at his limbs.

"What happened?"

"It was the fire. It was just like Mustafar," he mumbled starting to calm down,"I must get back, Piett may be in danger, I won't allow him to take the fall."

Anakin and Padme boarded the starship, much to Anakin's displeasure. Soon they were back and Padme helped Anakin back into the horrid suit.

"Fimus, you need to get away," Padme told him, "You need to tell the men they will be on vacation."

"Yes, milady." Anakin prepared reports for the Emperor, he signed off on their vacation, however suspicious it looked and was contacted by the Emperor.

"Vader," came the cool voice.

Anakin was already back in his suit and in his kneeling position. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I believe that an attack on the Death Star is imminent."

"Then why are the 501st being reassigned?"

"For their protection, my master."

"For...their...protection," the Emperor repeated slowly. "I want them there to protect my project."

"With all due respect, my Master, these are my mine. I will not have them sacrificed."

"You dare defy me."

"Of course not, Master. You surround me with imbeciles and I will not go through and train new men. You have given me command of the Military while you rule from Imperial Center, I only ask that you allow me to do the job you assigned me. You are a skilled position, I am a military tactician. I know that an attack is imminent and I will not lose our best men," his voice raised as he slammed his hand on the ground."

"Do you dare defy me?"

"Of course not, you are the master, I am merely the apprentice."

"You may rise, my friend." This time, Anakin was ready for him, he reached out into the Force and ignited his crimson lightsaber, deflecting the electricity.

"You dare defy me! Do you wish to become the master?"

"I am not ready...yet," he allowed the darkness to creep into his voice, as he tightened his mental shields, while allowing his darker thoughts to be gently probed by the Emperor, satisfied he wouldn't reach further.

"But soon, you will overthrow me?"

"As you did your master."

"I sense something different about you, my friend."

"My newest paramour has been on my mind as of late," Anakin admitted, "she is pleasing to me," he stated slowly, "She is only a distraction, my master."

"I have no use of such distractions."

"She was recently apart of the Rebel Alliance. It is how I become aware of the Rebel attack."

"Very well, Lord Vader. We shall see each other soon. I demand your present on Imperial Center. You will attend with me, you will give a speech on how our military stands against the pitiful Rebellion."

"As you wish. I will set a course immediately," he replied. The connection was cut off and Anakin sighed as he took off the mask, it was as if the suit was perpetuated in darkness, as if it seeped through the suit and into his skin, if it wasn't for Padme...he didn't want to think where he would be, or what he would be, he would be that monster. And he didn't want that. He didn't want his children to know him as that monster, yet, he would never lie to them. If they asked him he would tell them. He sighed as his wife gave the signal and he was alerted to a attack on the Death Star. "So it begins," he stated slipping the suit back on as he nodded to his wife and two of his pilots and he led his wife to his personal fighter. "This is where the fun begins," he stated with a smile after switching off the vocabulator he no longer needed. He closed his eyes and searched for the Force presences, and he felt them like two burning stars he felt them, the force presences so similar to his own. He could feel Luke, his son, his bright star shooting through space, the excitement rushing through his veins, the slight twinge of fear at this being his first major attack against the enemy, his nervousness of possibility capturing Lord Vader, a chuckle emitted from the Dark Lord, and Luke was confused but he shook his head and concentrated, wondering why security was lax. He switched on the vocabulator.

"I suggest you evacuate the Death Star," Anakin stated, giving him one word of warning.

"At our moment of triumph, no thank you. Don't be absurd."

"As you wish," he stated, cutting the connection, he felt sorry for the soldiers Tarkin was sentencing to death, but he had done all he could. He waited and made himself a good target as Luke aimed and took him out. He crash landed to the world of Vjun and surveyed his ship. He hated that he had to keep the suit on as he waited for Luke to capture him. He began surveying the damage. Looked like the right wing had clipped a few trees. He helped his wife out, and teased her. "Sure you wouldn't rather hold me captive. I will submit to your every wish, you every demand, you every desire."

"Ani, not here. We are waiting for Luke. After what seemed like forever Luke and five Rebel officers came upon them.

"I am Commander Skywalker, with the Rebel Alliance, and you are under arrest for indignities against the Galaxy."

"I've been accused of worse," he stated, wiping the grease off his hands.

"I am prepared to fight you," he stated, holding the blaster steady. "One wrong move and I'll..."

"Even the Empire gives its prisoners a chance to surrender, son."

"I'm not your son."

"Indeed."

"Are you saying that you are willing to surrender."

"I will surrender to you. Do you have your orders? Do you know where you are carrying me?"

"Yes, sir, I have my orders."

"Then let's get on with it."

"Padme, are you alright?"

"This man would never hurt me," she stated, slightly offended. She watched as Luke stood behind his father with a blaster pointed to the back of his head.

"Son," Anakin spoke again, "When you arrest a prisoner, you should compensate their weapons or..." his lightsaber sprang easily to his hand as he sliced Luke's blaster in half. In half an instant, Luke's lightsaber, or rather Anakin's old lightsaber sprang to his hands. Anakin considered re-surrendering but his curiosity won out, he engaged in a lighsaber battle with his son as he deflected the Rebels clumsy blasts away from both him and his son. "Why have you not made your own lightsaber?"

"I don't need it. I have my father's."

"Indeed. However, son, you do need your own. If the original owner return he could easily have your lightsaber. A Jedi's relationship to his lightsaber is like no other. You are not a Jedi yet."

"And you ceased to be one long ago," Luke replied, anger flashing in his blue eyes, so like his own. Anakin felt a warning from the Force, and deflecting a blaster blow off-aimed at his son's heart his sliced through Luke's wrist. Sithspit, he cursed internally, he reached out for Luke who back away from him.

"Obi-Wan never told you about your father."

"He told me enough. He told me you destroyed him."

"No, I am your father," he stated although he hated stated it aloud, he had lowered his sheilds momentarily and allowed the words to slip through. He saw the shock on Luke's face as he shook his face back and forth.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed and Anakin reached toward the boy who was cupping his hand. Anakin turned on the incompetent Rebels.

"You have your orders, now get me to Bast Castle!" he barked and the men jumped to. He had capable med droids and a bacca tank there, he would get Luke to safety and sadly replace Luke's wrist with a mechanical one. In saving his son's life from the incompetent Rebels he had caused him to loathe him.


	26. Chapter TwentyFive: Bast Castle

Bast Castle

Padme put her arms around Luke and held him, following Anakin and the Rebels. "Mom," he whispered and she examined the wound, luckily it had been catheterized which she should have remembered from when she, along with Obi-Wan, had helped a weak Anakin into a spaceship and off of Genosis. Anakin watched as the Rebels slowly typed in the code. They were being so slow and she knew from the dumb look on their faces that Anakin must have used the Force so that he could fiddle with the lock. Anakin typed in the security code and then stepped back allowing the Rebels to take hurry. Padme heard them whisper, "Hurry, we must hurry." Padme rolled her eyes, as they rushed in, dragging Anakin by the arm. Anakin however motioned for her to follow with Luke in tow and took her to what had to be his bedroom. There were robotic limbs on a work bench, there was a chamber similar to the one on his flagship. She sat Luke down in the chair gently. "Mother, don't leave me."

"I have no intention of leaving you, Luke," she whispered gently, brushing back the blonde hair matted to his forehead. Anakin motioned for a droid to come near.

"Anesthesia?"

"Here, sir," Anakin nodded and once the anesthesia was applied he took off the suit so that he could see well enough and his hands would be steady. Luke's eyes widened at seeing the face of Anakin rather than Vader but he still pulled away.

"Son, the wound was catheterized however you don't want to walk around with a stub. I'm going to help you."

"You did this to me," he said calmly.

"Yes, I did," he admitted, "However, I'm going to fix it. I know you don't have any reason to trust me, and I haven't given you a reason, but I'm asking that you trust me. I will not allow any harm to come yo you. Once this is over you may ask anything you wish and I will answer." Luke nodded and Anakin began attaching the hand, which resembled 3PO's skeleton, he then attached pieces of muscle around it so that it was the shape and size if a normal hand. Finally, he added in pain sensors and fitted a skin colored, skin feeling plastic of it. It looked as good as new, however he wasn't satisfied that Luke wasn't still hurt somewhat, and to meld it together properly he stuck Luke in a bacca tank for a few hours.

"Anakin, what happened?" she asked, her eyes concerned.

"I didn't mean to, Padme, I'm still getting used to the flexibility of my body. I overextended when I shouldn't have. My old body would never had reached Luke's hand," he squeezed her hand. "I felt through the Force, one of those Rebels had miscalculated, while aiming for me, they had aimed for our son, straight for his heart, there would have been no coming back if I didn't act Padme. I saved him, but at a consequence."

"Oh Ani," she whispered reaching out and running her hand through his still short hair. She touched his cheeks and then kissed him softly on the lips. "Our baby boy. Our poor son."

"I know, and if I could just go back and do it again."

"He's strong, Ani. He has to be, he's our son," Anakin nodded and finally let him out.

"Are you Darth Vader?"

"I am."

"And my father?"

"Yes."

"You were once a Jedi?"

"I was."

"And you serve the Emperor?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"When I was a younger man, I had nightmares of your mother dying in childbirth. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her writhing in pain, screaming out my name. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. Then the Jedi come along and asked me to spy on Palpatine," Anakin paused and had sandwiches brought in. "You'll be hungry after all of that," he added before continuing, "And Palpatine told me he didn't trust the Jedi. That he only trusted me. He asked me to spy on the Jedi. Everyone was putting me in the middle," he tried to explain, "Palpatine told me what I wanted to hear, I know that now. He told me the Jedi didn't trust me, that that was why I wasn't made master. That was all that I wanted to be made a master so that I could access the Jedi Archives so that I could figure out how to save Padme. How to save you and your sister."

"I have no sister." Anakin smiled faintly as he continued.

"Instead Palpatine told me of an ancient Sith legend, of the Sith Plegesis the Wise, who had the power to create life and stop death." That night marked the fifth in a row that I didn't sleep, that I didn't return to our apartment, I began meditating but not like a Jedi, I begun thinking inward and still I couldn't find the power. Two days later, he revealed that he was a Sith Lord, I should have known, but I didn't, I should have arrested him myself, or destroyed him as I did Count Dooku but I didn't. I tried to contact Master Obi-Wan but they wouldn't let me. He was the only Jedi that had ever loved me, that trusted me and that I could trust. Palpatine offered me everything, he told me that he had the power to save Padme, that without him she would die. I couldn't face the possibility of a life without her. I considered anything and everything but that. When Master Windu fought Palpatine and tried to kill him, I stepped in."

"You told me that the Jedi had tried to assassinate the Chancellor."

"Master Windu would have. He boasted about it. I couldn't let him, I couldn't lose you. When I stepped in, Palpatine finished him off. I couldn't believe it. I had stood with the Sith against the Jedi. I was so confused and suddenly very very tired. I just wanted it to all be over. I wanted to know that you and our child would live. I wanted someone to take the responsibility from me, so I sold my soul to the darkness. I was dazed, it was as if it wasn't me, it was someone else brandishing my lightsaber, as I went through the Temple and...I'll spare you the gory details. I could see everything that was happening but it was like it was happening to someone else. I was aware of it, but I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop Darth Vader. Then he disappeared and I was in your arms. And I remembered Palpatine telling me about Obi-Wan being seen leaving your apartments, that there were rumors in the Senate that a Jedi was controlling you, and I loved you so much, and I hated him equally as much, and I left you and I exterminated the remaining Separatists. I can even now see the horror on their faces as they saw me. Nute Gunray looked at me 'Lord Sidious said we were to be left in pieces.' I smiled and I said, 'The transmission was garbed, he said you were to be left in pieces.' He pleaded for his life and I felt glad, he had escaped our grasp so many times and now I had him. 'You, you are Anakin Skywalker, you are a Jedi, you cannot kill me.' I raised my blade. 'The resemblance is misleading,' I stated and then his head rolled over next to my boot, I stepped on it and then you arrived." He had started out talking to Luke and then began explaining to Padme. "There's a darkness in me, a darkness that was born on Tattooine, I've done many terrible things, but I want to make it all right, I want to make it better."

Luke sat there silently, he was able to see in as his father had spoke of those things and it scared him, he could hear the darkness whispering in his father's memories, and he wondered how hard it was going to be for Darth Vader to become Anakin Skywalker again. His mother squeezed his father's hand, no judgment on her face, his eyes shining only with disappointment. The Dark Side would call out to him if he let it. That voice was extremely difficult to ignore. He had felt his father's pain, and triumph, the dark humor as he talked to whomever this Nute Gunray creature was, he could feel his pleasure at having the creature exactly where he had wanted him. There was history between his father and Nute, although he didn't know what it was. The Dark Side had twisted his father into a servant of the dark, but with his mother's help, his father was fighting for the light. "Father, I will help you. We will defeat Palpatine together."

"You are barely trained. You aren't ready."

"Then train me," Luke challenged, "Unless you are afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Anakin scoffed, although he was afraid, although he had trained Ahsoka, that had been so long ago. What if he failed in training his son? What if he trained him as a Sith rather than a Jedi?

"You tell me."


	27. Chapter 26 Nightmare

Nightmare

Obi-Wan Kenobi was set to leave for Bast Castle when he was flagged down by Princess Leia Organa, Leia Amidala Skywalker, she would always be in his mind.

"General Kenobi, I need to go with you," she stated without preamble as she absently rubbed her right wrist. "We've just received word that Commander Skywalker has captured Lord Vader."

"Yes, I am wanted to question him," Obi-Wan replied.

"I'm going with you," she stated, it wasn't a request but an order. He smiled kindly at her.

"Come along then."

"You know who I am."

"Yes."

"You knew my parents, both of them."

"Yes."

"My real parents."

"Yes."

"Why does my father hate you?"

"You know?" he asked as he punched in the coordinated.

"Darth Vader was once Anakin Skywalker, my father."

"He was much more than that, Leia. He was as I'm sure you are aware of a Jedi. He was the best star pilot in the galaxy."

"Yes, I heard something to that affect," Leia stated with a small smile, she had heard the pilot tell that to Luke. She was saddened that her duties had had to come first, which kept Leia's interactions with her brother primarily handing out tasks. He had come to her and asked to be assigned to the Death Star campaign and she had argued until the other Leaders of the Rebellion had agreed.

"Is there something wrong with your wrist?" he asked her. She looked down and noticed she was still rubbing her right wrist, she felt a gentle pressure around it. "Nothing appears to be wrong," Obi-Wan stated.

"No, I mean yes, I can feel a twinge right around here, where the joint connects but it's not terrible," she stated with a smile."My father," she prompted.

"He was my best friend, my only friend. Leia, you must be prepared for what you will find when you see him. A Jedi Master once told me, 'Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny."

"He's not evil, General Kenobi. Not entirely. He's my father, we have to try."

"You sound just like your mother," he stated as they came out of lightspeed."I'm not sure it's a good idea for all the Skywalkers to be in the same place."

"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked suddenly perceptive.

"I'll talk about it later, right now your family awaits."

"They are all here. My family?" she asked, as her breathing became slightly labored. She closed her eyes and she could feel it. The darkness in her father. It was a living breathing thing that threatened to choke her. She pushed the feeling away and felt a bright light, like a shining star and she was drawn to it. She moved toward the light, toward both presences, they were close.

"Yes, Leia. They are here. You seem to make a natural Jedi."

"I'm no Jedi, I'm a politician, General." He nodded and followed her. He didn't know if it was her female instincts or the fact that her father had been the Chosen One but she seemed drawn to the presence of Jedi, he thought. She had even drawn the presence of Vader's apprentice to her side. She seemed to have a knack for drawing force-users to her, much like his Master, Qui-Gon.

"I could really use your guidance right now," he stated, drawing her puzzled look for a moment, but he was met with only silence. He watched as Padme's eyes caught Leia's and they hugged reunited.

"Leia, my baby girl. How are you?"

"Oh, Mother, we did it. We destroyed the Death Star, now no planet will be hurt as Alderaan was."

"I know sweetheart." Leia's gaze slide to the boy and man standing beside her.

She extender her hand to the man, "Princess Leia Organa, of the House of Alderaan."

"Anakin Skywalker," he stated shake her hand and smiling and the feel of her soft hand, "Your father." She watched as Luke's eyes swung to her.

"I already know you. Commander Skywalker."

"Leia, Leia is my sister."

"Your insight serves you well," Obi-Wan stated coming in, "But hide that deep down, both of you although your feelings do you justice they could be made to serve the Emperor, I don't want to lose you as I lost your father."

"You won't, Obi-Wan."

"Anakin, I would like to take Luke to train with Master Yoda with his consent of course."

"I don't like it, Obi-Wan. I don't want him to believe in that non-emotion bull."

"Anakin, may I speak to you privately?"

"Of course," Obi-Wan led Anakin to the mess hall.

"I seem to have had one of your nightmares. I'm ….afraid for Luke."

Anakin sat down in a chair nearby. "Luke is my son, Obi-Wan. Tell me about the dream."

"Starkiller," Anakin froze hearing that name, "He must have embraced the dark side. On Hoth he challenged Luke and he embraced the dark side and then he fell. Starkiller had cur his head off, it rolled right by his feet. Then there was Endor. Han and Chewie were casualties of the war. Leia was setting off the charged and he fought her stabbing her through the heart. There was another Death Star, and you were in that suit again, and he electrocuted you. Killing the entire Skywalker family in one day. He would be unopposed if that were to happen."

"I will find Starkiller," Anakin stated. "You may take Luke to Master Yoda," Anakin did an about-face and returned to his family Obi-Wan following slowly behind.


	28. Chapter TwentySeven: Defected

Deflecting

Obi-Wan took Luke to Dagobah to train Luke and discuss Anakin. Anakin turned to his daughter. "You will take your mother to the Rebellion. They will protect her until I can destroy both Palpatine and Starkiller."

"Did you say Starkiller?"

"Yes, I found him as a young boy on Kashyyk. I eliminated his father, and then I saw him. He was very adept in the Force, even took my lightsaber from me. The stormtroopers say him and attempted to eliminate him. I stopped them. I raised the boy from a youngling. So many of my plans went very wrong after that. He fell in love..."

"With Juno Eclipse," Leia finished for him."They rescued me on Kashyyk."

"Well, we are returning to Kashyyk then. Everything seems to be circling back there. The will of the Force," he stated with a wry smirk.

"Anakin, you aren't going to kill this...Starkiller are you?"

"I will do what needs to be done, whatever that is."

"Father, you cannot. Juno and this Starkiller are a member of the Rebellion."

"I will not let this man harm you or your brother."

"There are other ways to solve a problem, Father."

"And Anakin you are a prisoner."

"You believe those weak-minded Rebels can keep me here."

"Father, that's not the point. You must surrender. You must deflect to the Rebel Alliance. We have rules in place that will protect you."

"Deflect? I have never abandoned my post. There are men counting on me. I AM NOT a deserter."

"It's the only way we can keep you from facing a trial."

"I am more concerned with protecting you and your brother."

"Well, you won't be able to do either unless you listen to me."

"I am a military strategist. I am a Commander. After all that's happened that's the only thing that's stayed the same."

"Father, I am one of the leaders of the Rebellion. I can put you I charge of our military."

"Against my own men?"

"If you don't then you will lose us. I know you don't want that."

"This isn't how it was suppose to be. I'm stronger than the Emperor now. Or I will be soon. I can overthrow him."

"Ani," Padme stated as she touched his smooth cheek and ruffled her hand through his padawan styled hair.

"Father, no. Democracy must be restored. For all our sake. It's the only way the four of us can be a family. If the Empire were to remain, we would become targets, we would never be safe. Democracy breeds peace. Think about the time when you were the happiest when was it?" Leia stated before Padme could, she smiled at her daughter taken by her knowledge on politics as well as her father's passion.

"That's easy," he stated and he smiled. The smile of a young slave from Tattoine, the smile of a Jedi Knight, the smile of a husband, a smile that made him look twenty years younger."It's any one of the times when I was with Padme, with your mother, Leia, she made me so happy. It was the only time I could let go and not worry about who I was supposed to be and just be who I was."

Leia smiled, she had reached him. She had done it. "But I created Starkiller, and I have to finish it."

"Then you will come with me."

"I will."

"And you will train with Luke and General Kenobi BEFORE you approach Starkiller."

"As you wish."

"Then let's go. Come along, Mother. I will show you what your work has helped create."

"I would like that very much."

"Daughter," she heard and saw Anakin struggling with the suit. "Help me."

"I will," she replied and helped him by lowering the helmet into place. She took a step back and she shivered. "Commander Zuko, I am taking the prisoner, Darth Vader, to Rebellion Headquarters."

"Very good your highness."

"He had defected. He will be treated as any other member of the Empire with the same status."

"Very good, your Highness."

"Do you know how to fly?" she asked her father with a small smile.

"If you'll allow me."

"Of course." She typed in the coordinates for Hoth and Padme felt the blood drain. Anakin had shared Obi-Wan's vision with her. They had only told her that Starkiller would destroy her on Endor to keep her away from Endor, but here they were on their way to Hoth, the world where their son would be killed. Leia typed in her secure password and they landed in the bay. Leia and Padme excited with Darth Vader behind them. The Rebels quickly scattered just leaving the Leaders with their heads held high. Bail Organa came forward at once.

"Leia, I'm so glad you are alright," he stated embracing her gently. "Padme, how is this possible? I attended your funeral."

"Yes, I believe that was mentioned. This man brought me back. He has defected."

"Darth Vader, you have come to join the Alliance?" Bail asked uncertainty.

"I have come to claim my wife and daughter." Bail looked away uncertainty and then looked back gaining courage.

"Leia is my daughter. We legally adopted Leia shortly after her birth."

"Viceroy, you do realize that in this day and age it is illegal to adopt a child without consent from her living father."

"Perhaps, we should take this discussion elsewhere." Padme stated quietly."I'm sure you would like to get more comfortable, Ani." Anakin took a deep breathe and looked away from the viceroy. He had been unable to get the pictures our of his head. He had forgotten how angry he was with the viceroy until he saw him. And hugging his daughter had been over the top. He thought of Leia as a baby taking her first steps, Leia calling this man Daddy for the first time when he had been alive all this time. All the things he had missed while the viceroy enjoyed what was rightfully his. The anger and the dark side began bubbling to the surface.

.

Leia led them to the briefing room as Padme helped Anakin out of the suit. "Leia, how could you bring him here?" Bail Organa stated furious.

"How could I not? He's a slave, Dad. I couldn't leave him there. He saved my life and he's my father, my..."

"Real father," Bail stated and he suddenly felt very old. Even older when he saw the somber face of Anakin Skywalker. It wasn't fair. There he was, the man who had helped Palpatine destroy the Republic, the destroyer of the Republic, he had broken Padme's heart and left two defenseless children in the world, and there he was looking like the 'Hero With No Fear'

"Don't use that title," Anakin all but growled. "I hated it." Bail knew that he had been reading his thought and tried to shield them against the Sith.

"We can all discuss this like rational adults, Vader."

"Anakin."

"Very well, Anakin. Leia tells me you have defected." Anakin nodded but didn't speak.

"Do you have a plan?" He nodded again, but refused to speak to the viceroy.

"Will you share it with us?"

"I will share it with my family, which you are not a part of," he stated before using the Force to pick him up, he opened the door and set him down outside, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"Anakin!"

"Father!"

"I'm trying, really I am but I won't speak to him. I'm going to find Starkiller and then I'm going to find Obi-Wan."

"You can't. Father there are legal processes we must go through. Everything must be on the up and up."

"She's right, Anakin," Padme said but she had turned around and he was gone. "He can be so thickheaded sometimes," she muttered. Finally they tracked him down. He was with a training droid, still being in possession of his lightsaber. He had drawn a crowd, while people watched the legendary Jedi, though they didn't know that was him, the Hero With No Fear, doing what he did best, She too, watched as he somersaulted out of the way of a stray bullet. She knew he had more that one reason for what he was doing. He was seeing that what happened on Vjun never happened again. He was magnificent, but then he always had been, even as Darth Vader, he was a frightening accurate duelist.


	29. Chapter 28: Dagobah

Dagabah

Luke and Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi had finally arrived on Dagabah. Artoo had accompanied the Jedi pair. As soon as he saw Master Yoda he beeped and whistled throwing raspberries and fighting with the wizened Jedi over a flashlight.

"No, Artoo," Obi-Wan stated and he beeped sadly at him. Even though Obi-Wan didn't speak droid Obi-Wan had the feeling that he was blaming Yoda for what had transpired between the Jedi and Anakin. And he didn't think the droid blamed him. Obi-Wan shook his head, why should he care what the astromech thought. He knew Artoo wouldn't like Dagobah but he had insisted that he would look after Luke, Anakin's son. And Anakin had agreed. 'He's always had my back. Go with him, look after each other. He will get you out of some pretty tight spots, Luke.' And then the decision was made and he was stuck with the only droid who knew the truth about Anakin, about Padme, about him, and about Anakin's fall. He sat down and motioned for Luke to do the same as he sipped the Hoi broth. Luke mad a face at the soup and Obi-Wan listened to Artoo beep. He wasn't sure what he had said until he pulled the broth away from him and slammed it on the floor.

"No, My food that is," stated Yoda in his way.

"I'm allergic to Hoi broth," Obi-Wan stated as he broke out into hives.

"Rest you must. My plan this was."

Within Five minutes Obi-Wan dropped to the ground, the sound of Master Yoda's crazy laughter and Luke's panic filled voice slipping away as he fell into the void.

Luke couldn't believe it, Ben was on the floor. "BEN!" he screamed, struggling to pick up the old man as he found a too-small bed to lie him in.

"Stop! My bed that is!"

"We have to help him."

"Love Obi-Wan, do you?"

"Yes. He's always been there for me."

"Too attached you are! Like your father, you are!"

"I wish Dad was here," he mumbled.

"Ears, I have. Speak up you must." Yoda hobbled along. "Care about Obi-Wan, I do. Yet sacrifice him, I will, if save the galaxy it would."

"But he's your friend."

"My friend, he is. Attachment leads to jealously. The shadow of greed, that is. Train yourself to let go, all you fear to lose."

"I am not afraid, Master," Luke stated was tightly contained anger.

"You will be, you will be. Become a Jedi, why?"

"Mostly for my father, I guess," Luke stated letting the anger roll off of him.

"Powerful Jedi he was, poweful Jedi indeed."

"What do you know of my father."

"Anakin Skywalker, he was named. Much fear in him, there was, like in his son.

On the planet of Hoth, Anakin felt weak, slightly dizzy and missed a stray bullet. Reaching out with the Force he turned off the training droid. "Obi-Wan," he mummered before standing up and smiling."Just a minor training accident, you can all go back to your buisness. Nothing to see here." Padme looked at him with questioning eyes.

"What happened?" he wasn't positive but he thought he knew. When he was Darth Vader he had searched high and low for Obi-Wan Kenobi but when he had reached out to Obi-Wan to show him his pain and Obi-Wan had allowed the visions to fall upon him, he had restored their training bond. It was delicate, not all the trust and love being restored yet, but it was there.


	30. Chapter TwentyNine: Eleventh Time

Eleventh Time

Leia and Padme had put together Anakin's deflection papers, collaborating until they had something satisfactory. They listed what they knew of Darth Vader, and halfway through the paper they listed the fact that the identity of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were one and the same and then Padme listed Anakin's virtues, hopefully this would be enough to save him from a trial, this information would go straight to Mon Montha for approval or rejection. It was her word, and her word alone that would either save her husband or destroy him.

However, Anakin hadn't waited for the documents to be drawn up. Shortly after his training session he had thrust his lightsaber at Leia and had hugged them briefly before leaving. He had set a course for Ilum, to the crystal cave, to create a new lightsaber since he had no idea what lay ahead for Obi-Wan, he was preparing for any situation, he knew he had time, he sent comfort through their bond as he landed on Ilum. For some reason he didn't want the traitorous crimson Sith blade, he needed a new lightsaber, that fit his new body. The crimson lightsaber had been made for his robotic hands not the flesh and blood hands he now possessed. Anakin Skywalker sat down in the cave cross-legged and meditated for two days. On the third day, he used the Force and held up a silvery-blue crystal, he then began constructing his new lightsaber. Although for some reason a part of him wanted to use a double-hilted lightsaber, he wasn't that confident with his new limbs yet and wanted to keep them intact. He chose a standard hilt that he crafted himself and added the crystal, emitter, and lens. Then, after another moment he turned on the lightsaber watching the silvery-blue hue spring to life. He swung it around the cave a few times, with a deadly smile on his face. He knew that he Jedi pouches were empty for years of unuse. His hair had grown back to the length that it had been prior to Mustafar and he knew he looked every inch of the hero he had been. He had one more detour to made before searching for Obi-Wan. He had to get to Obi-Wan's home planet, StewJon, it contained the remedies for anything Obi-Wan would be allergic to. Two standard days later, he was on the grassy planet of Stewjon. He placed a variety of fruits in a bag. That done, he returned to his TIE fighter, and felt for the presence of his former master. Then an idea struck him, if Obi-Wan was with Luke, why didn't he search out Luke's presence the parental bond being stronger. He did and shied away from it immediately. Luke was upset, he was feeling rage, hate, and despair, all feelings of the dark side. But he had felt flashes of images, enough to know he was headed to Dagobah and that Master Yoda was goading his son. He wasn't sure what he would do when confronted by Master Yoda. He represented everything about the Jedi that Anakin disliked.

Anakin arrived on Dagobah to hear Artoo's binary language. He translated it in his head, 'Must save Obi-Wan.' He stopped translating and reached out feeling Obi-Wan's pain. He raced to where Obi-Wan was.

"Master," he stated automatically.

"Anakin." Anakin looked at the rash and handed him a fruit.

"Here, that makes eleven, Master."

"Eleven?" Obi-Wan coughed before he bit into the fruit. "Mmmmm-hmmm," he moaned, these had always been his favorites. As he ate he strength returned. The blotches disappeared from his face.

"What happened, Master?" Anakin asked, reaching down to help Obi-Wan stand.

"A Sith, in my house he is," he heard the aged voice of Master Yoda. He saw in Luke's hand a chicken-frog.

"What did you do to him?"

"Care, you should not. A Jedi he is. A Sith, you are."

"No," Anakin stated, his new lightsaber springing to his hand. "I am the Chosen One."

"If it is a fight you want, happy to oblige I am." Master Yoda's lightsaber sprung to his hand. "Destroy my home, you will not."

"After you." Master Yoda walked backwards out of his house not turning his back to the former Sith for an instance.

"Father, you don't have to do this."

"No, Luke, I do. This doesn't concern you. There's always been an animosity between us. It ends now."


	31. Chapter Thirty: Sith Jedi Duel

Duel between Jedi and Sith

Luke and a shaky Obi-Wan followed the duel outside. Obi-Wan holding the Skywalker heir back, away from the fierce duel. "Remember what happened the last time you entered a duel. Remember your failure," he reminded the Son of Skywalker.

Anakin swung his silvery-blue lightsaber around as he removed his cloak getting into battle stance. Yoda did the same eying the Sith apprentice eerily. Yoda used a Force-push both the Chosen One had anticipated it, and through up his hand to block it, standing rooted to the spot. Anakin raised his lightsaber in front of him defensively as Yoda called his lightsaber to his hand. "Knew I did, that much fear in you, there was."

"You shouldn't have separated me from my mother," Anakin retorted. And then it happened, the battle began as Yoda began the Ataru form, relying on jumps and acrobatics, and despite his age, the Chosen One blocked each blow, seemingly easily. The Chosen One incorporated his knowledge of the dark and the light drawing on one or the other when called for and sometimes both at the same time. He was balance in the Force. And Yoda felt it. The man in front of him wasn't pure darkness. Yet, he continued to fight the Chosen One gaining ground and before either man realized in Skywalker's blade was at Yoda's neck as his footing slipped.

"Anakin, don't!"

"Father, please!"

"No, Anakin, No!"

Anakin heard the voices of his son and former mentor and even the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn. He paused, listening to the Force. He kept his eyes open and on his opponent as he listened to both the dark and the light.

"Your time is coming to an end, old man. Your days are numbered."

"Kill me, will you?"

"No," he stated and switched off the silvery-blue blade. He used the force to return it to the pouch on his waist and then offered his hand to the small troll. The troll ignored his hand and got up on his own. "That is not my destiny."

"So sure you are of your destiny now, hmmmm?"

"As sure as I can be. I've waited twenty years too long."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan started but he was at a loss for words.

"You are nine hundred years old, I may be off a couple of decades but..." he shrugged, as he turned to his son, trying to explain, put into words something he wasn't even sure of, "We are not this crude matter. We are illimunious beings."

"Well said, Anakin." Obi-Wan stated feeling slightly better. He was Anakin Skywalker, and he was Darth Vader, he had claimed both identities, and unlike Darth Vader, he wasn't pretending anything else, he accepted both identities, even if he was going by the name his mother had given him. And realizing that tears sprung to Obi-Wan's eyes, and he wanted to apologize for their duel on Mustafar but he didn't know how. Anakin had changed him from the stoic Jedi he had once been and there was no going back. Anakin had been right, relationships made a person stronger, made them understanding and able to help as they were always meant to.

"Twilight is upon us all." Anakin bowed, "Master Yoda, we will need all of the forces we can gain to defeat the Empire, join me?"

"Leave me. Meditate on this, I must.


	32. Chapter 31: Rebellion

Rebellion

The news that Darth Vader had joined the Rebellion had leaked, although the news that Anakin Skywalker, Hero With No Fear, and Darth Vader were one and the same had not. So far only Bail and Mon Mothma were privy to that information. Mon had closed herself off debating the possibilities of what this meant. Bail was very wary of the man who had once been Anakin Skywalker.

"Mother, tell me about...Anakin Skywalker."

"Your father."

"Yes. How did he become..."

"Loyal to the Emperor?"

"Yes."

"It's complicated, Leia."

"Do you think he's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder?" Leia questioned her mother. Padme blinked several times, the idea never occurring to her before now. Was Darth Vader simply Anakin's way to cope with the trauma of the Clone Wars?

"The Clone Wars were devastating. But Anakin condemned himself even when we won," spoke a new voice. Leia and Padme turned to see a once familiar face.

"I thought you had died."

"Is that what you were told?" there was a bitter laugh on the end of it, "But Sidious no doubt."

"Well, Palpatine did..make quite a speech, he erected a memorial, if I'm not mistaken."

"Isn't that just fantastic," came the sarcastic reply.

"Ahsoka, this is my daughter Leia."

"You are a Jedi?" she asked, quietly.

"No."

"Strange, you have a familiar force presence. Your daughter, Padme? Skyguy's?"

"Yes. We-well Anakin and I are married, we were married before you became his padawan."

"This day keeps getting better and better. If you want to know about the war, you might try asking someone who was actually there," and with that the Tortuga turned and left. Yes, you might say she was a little bitter at being separated from both her families, first her Tortuga family, and then her Jedi family. She had been alone for so long that she wasn't completely certain that she wasn't half-crazy. She had been there for decades, and everything she knew had disappeared from the universe, while she had been in limbo, everyone else had moved on. Skyguy had married and had children, had become the pawn of the Emperor and was just now fighting his way toward the light. She had no idea where she stood on the Sith/Jedi debate. She didn't feel the light like she once had, but she wasn't immersed in darkness either. She returned to her room, not all that different from the room she had been given at the Temple and the asylum. It was sparse, with just the bare essentials. Closet. Fresher. Bed. Data-computer. She sat on the floor in front of the bed and began her Jedi chakras. Suddenly, she heard the whoosh of the door and saw Leia standing there. She dropped her foot and straightened immediately.

"Can I help you, Princess?"

"Please call me Leia. I want to know about my father and about the war."

"I wasn't there very long. The Clone Wars only lasted three years. I was barely there for six months."

"Please Jedi Tano, anything you could tell me would be helpful. As soon as everyone figures out that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader are one and the same, I fear that the Alliance will put him on trial. I want to be prepared for any and all possibilities."

"You are more like Anakin than you know."

"Please Jedi Tano."

"Ahsoka."

"Please Ahsoka."


	33. Chapter ThirtyTwo: Slaves

Slavery

Ahsoka Tano looked at Leia carefully before decided how much to divulge. She was about the same age Ahsoka had been when she had first met Anakin, officially. Sure she had seen him around the Temple, like most everyone else, proud of this Jedi who as a Padawan had faced Count Dooku and lived, ever since she had entered the Temple at the age of three, there had always been rumors about Anakin Skywalker, how he was the Chosen One, the one destined to bring Balance to the Force, whatever that meant. How he had defeated the Trade Federation at the age of nine, how he hadn't been accepted until after the Battle of Naboo, how he mastered the Force quicker than anyone of his age despite his lack of training, how he had been Knighted, how he had quickly become a respected General of the Republic, all these things flashed through her mind at lightning speed. "I will tell you,  
Princess, but first tell me about Skyguy."

"Who?"

"About Master Anakin," she stated, unable to let go of the honorific title.

"Oh. Well, Anakin, he-he became Darth Vader."

"No way. Nuh-uh, he didn't wake up one day and decide I'm going to join the Dark Side. There's more to it than that."

"Well, all I know is what Mom said."

"You call Padme Mom, yet you call Skyguy Anakin?"

"I know he was a slave, before joining the Emperor."

"You know nothing about slavery, Princess."

"Then tell me."

"You asked for it," Ahsoka replied, she wasn't intentionally being rude to Leia, perhaps part of her wished she had been around for Luke and Leia's life, she had known slavery for a time in the Clone Wars, and had been a slave in the institution. In truth she like Leia, had liked Padme. Perhaps, she blamed Padme for her master's turn, she wasn't certain, but she did feel some sort of resentment toward her, maybe it was just the fact that she had been a Senator just like Palpatine. "I was a slave once. It was a mission we were on during the war. We were undercover. We went to Kirus, an undercover Tortuga colony. I was impersonating Princess Zaa Vanshee, so that we could infiltrate the CIS. You father was supposed to be my master, which he was. My Jedi master. We were caught. Master Anakin was made into a slave for the second time in his life," she smiled faintly. "I don't much of what went on, I was being tortured myself. It was horrible the things you are forced to do as a slave, but in a way it's freeing, you don't have to have a conscious, all you do is follow orders no matter what they may be. Only my Jedi training and Master Anakin saved me, I had almost given up, allowing myself to believe in the Slave's Code."

"The Slave's Code?" Leia asked.

"Just what I said, you have no responsibility, you cannot be held accountable for you actions. As a Jedi you have so much to be held accountable for, so much respect, so much duty, but as a slave all you do is what you are told."

"So what you are saying is that Anakin, that my father is the Emperor's slave."

"I'm saying that as the Chosen One perhaps it got to be too much pressure for him and he slipped back into his former life. He wasn't even bitter or angry at Miraj, even though she had threatened both my life and Master Kenobi's. He even did everything he could to save her. From Count Dooku. From an assassination attempt from Cookie, a slave girl."

"Thank you, Ahsoka. You don't think he's to blame for what he did, do you?"

"I'm not saying he's blameless, just that once he made his choice, he was stuck, and rather than have to weigh what was right and wrong he was pushed back into the mindset he had been born into."

"Thank you," Leia impulsively hugged the older woman. "I really am sorry for all that you have lost. However, the Rebellion if very thankfully to have another Jedi among its ranks." Ahsoka couldn't help but let a smile escape as she shook her head in wonder at the small girl. She turned away from Leia and headed to the mess hall before she heard the whispers and turned.

"Master Yoda?"

"Dead, I thought you were."

"Not yet."

"Seem, so it would. Seeing you alive, brings warm feelings to my heart."

"You look so..."

"When nine hundred years you reach, look as good you will not, hmmmm."

"Yes, Master Yoda."

"Ready to face your trials, you are?"

"I'm not sure." She saw a much older, Obi-Wan Kenobi and..."Artoo!" she exclaimed as she heard the excited beeps. She couldn't help but remember the mission to get him back when Master Anakin had called her Skyguy.

"Easy, Artoo," she heard and she turned to meet her Master's steady gaze. He swung an arm over her shoulders and motioning for his son to join them they walked away from Masters' Obi-Wan and Yoda. Luke followed silently behind his father. "It's time we caught up, Snips. What happened to you?" he asked searching her face for clues.

"Actually, Dad, I can answer that," Luke stated and Anakin turned to him shock forming on his featured.

"You knew what happened to my Padawan?"

"Your what?"

"Ahsoka Tano, Luke Skywalker, my son. Luke, my Padawan Learner, Ahsoka Tano," he introduced irritably.

"Oh, Master, we've met before," she teased as he blushed. They went through the mess line and get there food and sat down before Luke continued.

"The Alliance was able to find locations to missing Jedi during the War. Leia and I we-uh- borrowed Palpatine's files."

"Snips-I'm-"

"Save it, Skyguy I understand." Luke blushed again at the gentle teasing.

"Ahsoka, I know I don't have the right," he started, Ahsoka knew he was serious. He only used her name when he was. "But I need your help. I want you to become my son's teacher. I don't want the old guard putting old ways into his head. He needs someone fresh, someone snippy," he teased.

"I would be honored Skyguy. So when are we taking out the Emperor?"

"You knew?" he asked. She shot him a look and reached for their old bond and Anakin Skywalker was thrown into her memories.


	34. Chapter 33: Ahsoka discovers the Sith

Ahsoka discovers the Sith

…...15 years ago...

Ahsoka Tano, Padawan of the Hero With No Fear, Anakin Skywalker smiled up at her Master as they greeted the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. She watched as her Master bowed in respect to Chancellor Palpatine and she hesitated before copying his actions, but she hadn't missed the hungry almost predatory look on his face when he looked at her master.

"Oh, at last, Anakin I meet your protege. Let's hope, young one, that you can live up to the legend your Master has set for you."

"Your Excellently, we all do what we can in this senseless war."

"Yes, I know, my boy. But cheer up this war cannot last forever."

"Mind if I have a word with you, Anakin?"

"Of course, your Excellently. Snips, why don't you debrief Captain Rex on the details of our Mission?"

"Of course, Master," she started to go, to follow his orders, but she caught a gleam in the Chancellor's eyes as Anakin dismissed her. She stared at the two of them, wondering why the Chancellor had no presence in the Force. She had never noticed that before. Anakin had opted to change out of his military uniform upon hearing of the Chancellor's arrival and he now wore his dark Jedi garb, his long black cloak billowing behind him. The Chancellor also wore dark clothes and had a similar cloak. As he talked to her Master, she saw him become more animated, yet agitated. Something about them sent shivers down her spine. She closed her eyes and reached out to her master's presence, it seemed to darken by the second, and suddenly he noticed her.

"Ahsoka! Bridge! Now!" he barked. "That's an order!" she leaped up and went to meet Captain Rex. What was the Chancellor doing way out here? Why had he come? Master Anakin had told her he wanted to check over the base's progress but he was the Supreme Chancellor. Surely, he knew how easily he could be captured in a war zone. She smiled, at Rex, as she met him. He was looking over the schematics that had been able to obtain from the Separatists. "Rex, what do you think of the Chancellor?"

"Sir?" he questioned.

"I'll sure be glad when we get back to the Temple. How much longer do you think it will be before we get some leave?"

"Sir?" he questioned again, "I thought you were ready for the action and detested the Temple."

"Sometimes, but I really should talk to Master Windu about...nevermind. Master Anakin wanted me to update you on the mission. Get the men together."

"Yes, sir."

"And here's where we enter..."

"I can take it from here, Snips."

"Of course, Master," she snuck off and though she knew she shouldn't she contacted Senator Bail Organa, one of Senator Amidala's trusted friends. "Senator Organa, I'm sorry to bother you at a time like this."

"Nonsense, Padawan Tano. Senator Amidala explained to me of your assistance during the Blue Shadow Virus crisis. What is it you wish to discuss?"

"How long is a Chancellor's term?"

"Four years. A Chancellor is allowed two four year terms, Padawan Tano."

"I don't know a lot about politics, Senator. But-"

"But?"

"I feel that something isn't right with our Chancellor."

"You aren't wrong in your assessment. I know very little of the Jedi. However, I feel that in confidence I can tell you that the Chancellor is now trying to pass a bill called the Security Act amendment which will take control of the Jedi from the Senate and give it to the Chancellor. You will be reporting to your Council, and the Council will report to the Chancellor."

"It must not pass."

"I will do everything I can. I will rally other Senators to my cause."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I really couldn't say other than ending this war on your end. Capture Grevious and Dooku."

"Ahsoka out."

Ahsoka sat there contemplating what she had been told, there was something very fishy about Palpatine almost as if he were a rancor in bantha clothing. As soon as she got home, she was going to find out what Master Windu knew about the shatterpoints between the Chancellor and her master.

Two months later, they had arrived on Coruscent. Her master had disappeared almost as soon as his feet had touched the ground, presumptively looking for his old master. She had been going to find Master Windu, to see what he could find out about Chancellor Palpatine. She could be wrong. She hoped she was wrong. She really did. Perhaps, she was just being paranoid. She headed to the Senate building where Masters Windu and Yoda were sitting in on a Senate building. She paced while she waiting. She had to be wrong about this. She felt a dark presence in the Force and turned around, meeting the Chancellor's eyes. They were yellow. Instantly her lightsaber was in her hand.

"You...you are the Sith Lord we've been looking for."

"Am I, my dear?"

"I'm going to...tell Master Anakin."

"You will not spoil my plans, little girl."

"I'll show you, little girl!" she ignited her lightsaber.

"Foolish child, I will not have you spoil my plans."

"Master Anakin will figure it out, Sithscum."

"Oh, really child?" he ignited his crimson saber and engaged her. "He will never seen it coming. He will serve me once I dispose of you." She feinted and struck.

"Master Anakin will never serve you."

"I have seen it. I just have to get rid of you. His greatest failing is something the Jedi and I agree on," he added toying with her.

"Master Anakin is a wonderful Jedi."

"His attachments to you, to that wretched Kenobi...even to you child, will be his downfall."

"You intend to use love to make him serve the Dark Side," Ahsoka laughed as she parried. "What an idiot!"

"His fear will drive him to any lengths." Ahsoka parried and laughed uncontrollably.

"Seriously, you think love will drive him to the dark side. Love will save us all."

"I've about had enough of you!" he struck out with Force Lightning and she tried to block it but failed as he picked her up with the Force. She awoke to being inside a cage, with something being injected inside her. She saw Count Dooku before everything faded away again.


	35. Chapter Thirtyfour: Anakin's Loyalty

Anakin's Loyalty

Anakin frowned, what exactly had Palpatine seen about Ahsoka? Although he was a part of the Rebellion, he was still loyal to the Empire, not to the Emperor, but to the legal form of government. There was no way he could put the lives and security of his men in jeopardy. And he knew that most of these Rebels around him, would cause another war, and for once he was tired of all the fighting and the war.

"Ahsoka, if I had known..."

"I understand Skyguy. You were married to Senator Amidala weren't you?"

"Yes, I was. I am. It's complicated, Snips. If I had known...I tried to find you. I searched for years, even after the Empire formed...I had no idea."

"I know. I should have come to you. I just hoped I was wrong."

"I know."

"So what's the plan?"

"Well, first I'm going to find Leia and Padme, and you and Luke are going to begin training."

"How can I train him, Master, when I was never Knighted."

"You should have been. I will rectify that momentarily." He stood up and left, and Ahsoka turned to Luke.

"So Luke, what makes you want to be a Jedi?"

"For my father, I guess."

"Anakin will be proud of you no matter what, you know that don't you?" He looked uncertain. "He's a lot to live up to, I know. He's made some mistakes, but so did the Jedi. You and your sister, you missed out on a lot when Obi-Wan and Yoda split up your family. He's a great guy. You are a lot like him, as is your sister."

"Thanks, Ahsoka."

"Anytime, flyboy. Now follow me." Luke followed her and she smiled at him as she had him run the whole perimeter and sat down to meditate. He came back to her forty-five minutes later drenched in sweat. "What took you so long?"

"What do you mean? I'm in great shape. It's not exactly a piece of bantha to work on the farm, y'know."

"So why didn't you use the Force to speed up?"

"You can do that?"

"Of course. Not that the Force is a toy. The Force is in all living things. Its what binds the universe together. I hear that you have already taken your first steps into a much larger world."

"Obi-Wan and Yoda taught me some things."

"Show me."

Luke smiled as he concentrated, and Ahsoka was slowly lifted a few feet into the air. "Youngling stuff," she scoffed.

"I'm better at combat," he defended. She ignited her blade and got into battle stance.

"Show me." He ignited his own emerald blade and met her blade. "What are you feeling?" she asked as she toyed with him, bringing her blade down and across to meet his.

"I don't know."

"Flyboy!" she scream at him and kicked him sending him sprawling to his back as she stood above him with her lightsaber at his throat. "What are you feeling?"

"Fear," he stated.

"Tsk. Tsk. Flyboy, you should be feeling passion, fear can be useful but that emotion is what had Anakin serving the Emperor. Bury it deep down. You should be feeling confidence. You are no better than a youngling." She disengaged her saber and threw it to the ground.

"It's not my fault the Jedi have been nearly instinct!" he cried out, using the Force to grab her lightsaber. She used the Force to lift him into the air separating him from his lightsaber as she simultaneously grabbed his fallen lightsaber and ignited it.

"Never strike someone down in anger!" she snapped. "You must be focused on the battle, the Force will guide you, help you anticipate your enemy's next move." She sat him frown gently. "You have a lot to learn."

"I've learned so much already."

"From who? Master Yoda? Master Obi-Wan? Detachment?"

"Not detachment."

"Oh really? Then you would have let Master Obi-Wan die?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Love can save you. Love saved your father, even if he is still struggling, as long as I have known him, he's always been struggling."

"And so have you," she heard a voice behind her. "I know that aggression is the nature of a Tortuga, but...you need to be harder on him, but give him words of encouragement, Snips."

"Of course, Master."

"Harder?" Luke asked.

"Son, when you face the Emperor with me...it will be no easy task. I need you to conquer in months what it takes most years to accomplish and the only way to do this is for Ahsoka to train you." With that Anakin walked away, leaving them both wary.

"So, Luke, let's try some meditating. I wasn't exactly that good at this myself," she stated as she began taking him through the breathing exercises.

Anakin found his wife and daughter with Senator Organa. It seemed he had been harsh with him the last time he had seen him. He cleared his throat, noting the fear that rose in the man's eyes.

"Viceroy, may I have a word with you?" He nodded his head and followed him outside the base.

"Is there something you need of me, Milord?"

"Now you sound like a stormtrooper," he said vaguely, a small smile on his face. "Viceroy, what are the Rebellion's plans?"

"I don't know what you mean, Lord Vader."

"Skywalker. My name is Skywalker."

"Very well, Lord Skywalker."

"No...You once referred to me as General Skywalker."

"Very well, General."

"After the Emperor died, what are the Rebellion's plans?"

"To Restore Democracy."

"You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Don't you remember anything from the Republic? Don't you remember how my Master came into power?"

"Because he was a lying manipulative Sith!"

"Exactly."

"Excuse me, Darth...uh General."

"He went about it slowly, you can't just throw the galaxy back into democracy after nearly sixteen years. You have to go about it slowly. Sixteen...if you will excuse me Viceroy." Anakin didn't wait for an answer. Sixteen. The twins had been born. Their Life Day was coming up. The first one he would spend with them. He went back into the room and tore Padme from it. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you?"

"The twins' life day."

"You are right. Oh, Ani, are you sure you want to celebrate that."

"I think I would rather celebrate with my family than wallow in self-pity and guilt," he replied kissing her fully on the lips in the view of everyone. He wrapped his arms around her and nibbled on her lips. He lowered his head to do the same to her neck, marking her as his. She suddenly pushed him away and glared at him.

"We are in view of everyone."

"So we are. I told you once that I would shout it out to the galaxy," he mummered into her ear. He turned around at the whistles and the stairs. "I LOVE THIS WOMAN!" he stated pulling her into his arms and carrying her to her room, even after he had left the facility he had been so tired lately, his body still regenterating, and then he had left to save Obi-Wan, and now he had just gotten back he wanted to show his wife just how much.


End file.
